The Velvet Devil Returns

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Remember when a single movie line about hating Merlot crashed an entire wine category overnight? The Velvet Devil Merlot stands as a delicious counterargument to that infamous Sideways moment, proving that Columbia Valley Merlot deserves your attention.

This $10 wonder from Charles Smith Wines delivers remarkable complexity for its price point. Originally created as "the least expensive oak-aged Merlot" on the market, it continues to impress despite changing hands multiple times since Smith first launched it. The 2022 vintage showcases brooding dark flavors—black cherry, bitter chocolate, blueberry, and plum—with an intriguing herbal or tobacco note adding depth and character. 

The Velvet Devil isn't some lightweight, forgettable red. With its blend of 89% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% more Merlot, it delivers that perfect "heft in your glass" as summer transitions to fall. Columbia Valley's ideal conditions for Bordeaux varieties shine through in every sip. If you've been avoiding Merlot since that movie came out, or simply looking for exceptional value in your wine selection, this dark, brooding bottle deserves a place in your rotation. At this price point, it's the perfect reintroduction to what makes Merlot special.

Want to discover more exceptional value wines? Subscribe to the Cheap Wine Finder podcast and website for regular reviews of wines that deliver quality well beyond their price tags. From upcoming Pinot Grigio finds to what might be "the best value-priced Cabernet Sauvignon," we're always searching for those hidden gems that keep your wine experience exciting without emptying your wallet.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hey, welcome, it's Domain Dave again.
Like always, we do value winereviews on the website
cheapwinefindercom and on thecheapwinefindercom podcast.
We talk about it.
Surprise, surprise.
Today we've got one that iskind of a blast from the past
for well Cheap Wine Finder.
From the past for well cheapwine finder.

(00:28):
This is a Charles Smith wine,and back in the 2010s, charles
Smith came out of ColumbiaValley and about a left field
with a line of wines value pricewines that were well received,
while making hundred-point winesfrom the high-end stuff.
So he was just getting it alldone and this is one of Charles

(00:52):
Smith wines.
That's the brand that all thesewines are out of, and this is
the Velvet Devil Merlot 2022.
It's from the Columbia Valley.
Now, back in the day, actually,charles Smith told me so I kind

(01:16):
of know this from the horse'smouth that this was the least
expensive Merlot, that wasbarrel-aged, oak barrel-aged,
and one of the reasons why isthere was a movie no, 15, 20
years ago now called Sideways.
It was about these two guysfrom Los Angeles who went up to
Santa Barbara wine country for abachelor getaway thing and one

(01:37):
of them, while drunk, said hehated Merlot and loved Pinot
Noir, and overnight sales ofMerlot crashed and sales of
Pinot Noir took off.
It was an internet sensationbefore there was internet
sensations and to this dayMerlot sales are still down and

(01:59):
Pinot Noir sales are up.
So Columbia Valley, whereCharles Smith came from, didn't
really do Pinot Noir that much.
It wasn't the right climate,temperature, soil, it wasn't the
right place, but they did doMerlot well.
So the Velvet Devil was a wayof bringing Merlot's sexy back,

(02:23):
which is another from that time,justin Timberlake, that's
probably about the same timethat all happened.
In the meantime, charles Smith,after he establishes these
brands and he's got a bunch ofthem sells them.
So it's been a long time sinceCharles Smith Wines is owned by
Charles Smith.
It's been owned byConstellation Brands, then

(02:45):
Castellation Brands sold it tothe Wine Group and just recently
the Wine Group sold it tosomebody else.
So I'm thinking, oh no, I meanthis line of wine and I remember
I'm really partial to Kung FuGirl Riesling and that's been
good for all these years, andthey have all black and white
labels which I'm going gonnatake a sip, with kind of pen and

(03:12):
ink drawings on it.
They're cool looking labels andthat runs throughout the
Charles Smith line.
I think his new wines are nowHouse of Smith.
He sold everything else off andso I thought maybe is this
still good?
Is this going to be still theless?
I mean, I don't know, this isstill gonna be the least
expensive oak aged Merlot.

(03:34):
The Charles Smith wines alwayshad outstanding liner notes.
They would tell you everythingyou need to know, or you know
just a bit more than you expectto know, and nowadays they you
get just a bit and the answer isyeah, it's pretty good.
They both castellation the winegroup to good wines.
I didn't really expect them toscrew the whole thing up and

(03:54):
they didn't.
Another sip this is a dark, abrooding wine with black, dark
flavors black cherry, bitterchocolate, blueberries, plums,

(04:16):
interesting kind of odd spicewith a little bit of a pull to
um, there's either herbs ortobacco in there.
It's one of those like what isthat flavor that is deepened
with all the flavors.
It's interesting.
This is a real.
It was 10 bucks in case, uh, Ifound it for 10 bucks might have
been sale, but it's a realMerlot, which I don't normally.

(04:44):
I'm not crazy now Because sinceSideways and the crash of
Merlot, people don't put thatmuch effort into it anymore.
Well, this one's got someeffort into it.
It's 89% Merlot, 10% CabernetSauvignon, 1% Merlot, which you
could have called it a Bordeauxblend.
It's good.
It's from Columbia Valley.
Columbia Valley is a greatplace to get Bordeaux blends and

(05:06):
Merlots and Cabernet Sauvignonsand all that type of thing, so
it's a value price Merlot and ifyou haven't had Merlot in a
while, yeah, try it.
It's got some dark flavors.
It's not a light, fluffy wine.
Maybe, with the summer comingto an end and fall coming in

(05:27):
with cooler nights, it's one ofthose wines when you want a
little bit more heft in yourglass.
You don't want light and breezy, you want a wine that's got a
little that kicks in a littleharder.
There you go.

(05:52):
I just took another sip of itand it tastes really good.
Uh, that's this.
The velvet double merlot 2022from columbian valley used to be
charles.
That's still the brand.
His name is Charles Smith, justCharles Smith.
Ain't nowhere to be found.
Now, what I got coming up?
I've got a real cheap PinotGrigio.
I've got a wine that just mightbe the best value of price
Cabernet Sauvignon in the nextcouple of days.

(06:13):
So I'll be talking to everybodyKeep it cheap, stay cool or
whatever you need to do.