Brander Vineyard and Winery Brander Merlot, Los Olivos District Review

When I first started visiting wine country, this was one of the wineries I visited. I found the wines to be relatively affordable then, and they’re surprisingly affordable now. Plus, I’m a sucker for Merlot — the California wine industry’s most underappreciated red wine grape!

Wine review by: Jessyca Frederick

Brander Merlot, Los Olivos District
Brander Merlot, Los Olivos District: front of bottle with wine in glass

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About this Wine

Wine: 2018 Brander Merlot, Los Olivos District
Blend: 100% Merlot
Region: Santa Ynez Valley, Central Coast, California
Cases produced: 676
I consumed it: September 2022
My source: The Gold Wine Club by Gold Medal Wine Club

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From this wine club: The Gold Wine Club by Gold Medal Wine Club

From this winery: Brander Vineyard and Winery

Region: Los Olivos, Santa Barbara, Central Coast, California

Wine color/style: Red wine

Grape variety or blend: Merlot

Tasting notes: Red fruit, Dark fruit, Smooth tannin

Other characteristics: Small production

Brander Merlot, Los Olivos District: What I think

It was great to receive this particular wine from the Gold Club. When I first started visiting wine country, this was one of the wineries I visited. I found the wines to be relatively affordable then, and they’re surprisingly affordable now. It was neat to get a snapshot of what they’re doing today, and plus, I’m a sucker for Merlot — the California wine industry’s most underappreciated red wine grape!

I really enjoyed this Merlot which we paired with my spicy Turkey Chili. Flavors of dark red fruit, soft tannins, and a medium body made it quite enjoyable.

Last updated: March 21, 2023

Notice: I hold no formal wine credentials. I am a wine geek who has consumed 1000+ of bottles from 100+ different wine clubs and 1000s more bottles that didn’t come from those wine clubs. I do not accept payment for wine reviews, and I do not accept payments to influence my opinions. I happily accept free wine (and I buy wine).

Why read my wine reviews: Wine taste is subjective. What I like may not be what you like. I try to leave room for you to form your own opinions, so I don’t provide a score or a rating. I do point out wines that are an incredible value or truly not worth the money. I note flaws, wines that don’t have typicity (because this matters if you are buying wine without having tasted it yourself), when wines are out of balance, and when wines lack appropriate body.

I don’t like wasting money (or anything for that matter). I’m careful about where I spend my money and my mindset as a reviewer is to be careful about where you spend yours. I don’t believe a high price tag equals quality and I know for sure there are wines of very good quality that are also a great value.

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