Domaine des Séailles "Cubik" Merlot 2022

Direct Press Selection | April 2025

[PRESS 4 MIX • PRESS 4 RED]

Merlot is possibly THE quintessential misunderstood grape, demonized in the 2004 movie “Sideways” when Paul Giamatti’s character, Miles, famously screams that he will “NOT drink any f****** Merlot” outside a Napa Valley restaurant. Even today, people still use the “Sideways effect” to explain a measurable decline in demand for the grape after the movie was released. I recommend Slate’s “Decoder Ring” podcast episode on all of this (also titled “The Sideways Effect”), which does a great job of breaking down how Merlot sales had already started to slide after farmers overplanted the grape in the 1990s.

When people say they hate Merlot, they usually mean that they hate simple, fruity red wines, which is obviously not true of the grape overall. That brings us to Domaine Séaille, a certified organic estate in Gascony — a region of France much better known for its Armagnac production. The “Cubik” is 100% Merlot, mostly estate fruit grown on limestone soils, blended with a small amount of négoce grapes from nearby organic vineyards. Vinification takes place in neutral concrete tanks, followed by a light filtration and 30 mg/L of sulfur added at bottling.

This relatively hands-off approach allows the grape to show off its true varietal characteristics. The wine leads with refreshing aromas of black plum and fresh-pressed cherry juice, but deeper into the glass, there’s notes of cacao and dusty clay accompanied by refreshing acidity. With its airy body and light, silky tannins, this is a bottle that can be enjoyed on its own, but it’s also a great accompaniment to a backyard barbecue. Kate Masters