Josh Merlot

Josh Cellars · California · USA

90 pts · Wine Enthusiast

$14.09

Building a case?

Add this wine to your mix-and-match 12-bottle case — every bottle at our already-low everyday price.

Taste profile

Sweetness · DryDry → Sweet

BodyLight → Full

Acidity*Soft → Bright

TanninSilky → Grippy

Oak*None → Bold

Fruit*Subtle → Intense

* WineDiscounts editorial estimate based on verified tasting notes.

What it tastes like

Plush plum, blackberry and cherry with violets, baking spice and a dark-chocolate note; velvety texture with soft, fine tannins.

You’ll like this if…

You like smooth, rounded reds — all the dark fruit of a Cabernet with less grip and a softer landing.

Why buy it

Merlot is the most underrated shelf in the store: this one earned 90 points from Wine Enthusiast for the 2019 vintage and costs like it never did.

Best for

Weeknight roasts, tomato-sauce pastas, and anyone who finds Cabernet a bit much.

Style

Full-ish bodied, fruit-forward California Merlot with velvety tannins and well-integrated oak.

Drinks like

If you like Decoy Merlot's smoothness, this scratches the same itch for less.

Experience level

Beginner-friendly.

Flavor notes

Fruitplum blackberry cherry

Floralviolets sweet flowers

Oakvanilla bean toasted oak cedar

Spicebaking spice

Otherdark chocolate cocoa powder finish

Pairs well with

Beef: Grilled steak or burgers

Poultry: Roast chicken

Pasta: Pasta with tomato or meat sauce

Cheese: Aged cheddar or gouda

Best occasions

Weeknight dinner Dinner party Crowd-pleasing wine

Serving & enjoying

Serving temperature:: 60–65°F (16–18°C), lightly cool

Guidance partly estimated by WineDiscounts from the wine’s style.

Type: red
Varietal: Merlot
Grapes: 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Producer: Josh Cellars
Country: USA
Region: California
Appellation: California
Bottle size: 750 Ml
ABV: 13.5%

Details last verified August 27, 2026

Winemaking details ›

Residual sugar:: 6 g/L

Winery story ›

From Josh Cellars, the Deutsch Family negociant label founded in 2007 by Joseph Carr. Merlot fruit comes from partner growers including Napa, Monterey, Lodi and Mendocino County.

Critic reviews

90/100Wine Enthusiast
“One of the best bottles in the Josh lineup”
Reviewed: Josh Cellars 2019 Merlot (California) (2019) — Jim Gordon, 2021-11-01 · source