Price: $8
Maker: HRM Rex Goliath Wines, Gonzales, Monterey County, California
Variety: Merlot
Packaging: 750 ml bottle, natural cork
Our Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Rex Goliath Merlot comes with a funky-looking label but is surprisingly good for an inexpensive merlot. Its modest aroma features blackberries and licorice, and its flavor shines with a jammy complexity. Blueberry and cherry combine with pleasant acidity to make this wine taste more expensive than its price. The finish lingers pleasantly.
The makers have clearly gone for a fun, informal approach in branding. “HRM Rex Goliath” is, according to their website, a circus “star” from a hundred or so years ago. Rex was billed as the ‘World’s Largest Rooster’, tipping the scales at 47 pounds – Goliath indeed! The full name of the wine is HRM Rex Goliath Giant 47-Pound Rooster Free Range Merlot. For fowl fun, read up on chicken trivia. The winemaker, Michael Kafka, comments on their Merlot:
We really love this wine. Soft, supple, and complex. There is a certain elegance to this wine that fits our vision of the perfect Merlot: Pretty and seductive with a decidedly spicy nose of black cherry, cassis and cedar. Very ripe and round, almost like a Jolly Rancher candy. Mouth-filling flavors of plums, cherries and wild red berries dominate from start to finish. Good seam of acidity paired with soft tannins make this a wonderful wine for game fowl such as pheasant or duck.
The wine has bagged an impressive list of awards, too…
- Double Gold & 98 Points! Best Merlot of Region – 2003 Cal State Fair
- Gold Medal – 2004 San Diego National Wine Competition
- Gold Medal – 2004 Dallas Morning News Wine Competition
- Gold Medal – 2004 New World International Wine Competition
- Gold Medal! – 2003 Los Angeles County Fair
- Gold Medal! – 2003 Monterey Wine Competition
- Gold Medal! – 2003 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
- One of the Top U.S. Values! – The Wine Spectator
- Gold Medal Merlot! A Terrific Wine! – Mike Dunne – The Sacramento Bee
It’s easy to see why this wine has garnered rave reviews. Rex Goliath Merlot is hard to beat for an under $10 wine.
After Savoring the “Rooster” bottle of Merlot we must have a couple of bottles of Rex Goliath Cabernet Sauvigon. My wife is a cab lover but she fell in love the Merlot, the flavor and smooth flavor is unforgetful. We must have more and try the cabernet as well. We look forwaard to this venture again with the Merlot but including the Cabernet, tell us how we can order a couple or a box. Thank you for the adventure….. T. Gerald
We picked up a bottle of the Merlot for fun, along with one called Bitch. Bitch was pretty vile – appropriately named. Rex is decent, not bad at all. Medium describes it well. It has less tannins than the Bogle Merlot($10), and a bit less bite. But for cheap wine, this stuff rather rocks!
Very disappointed with Rex Gollath Merlot mail in rebate, bought wine on 12/9, mailed rebate postmarked 1/12- because I couldn’t find it until then -offer expired on the 15th so they sent it back. It’s poor customer relations, I would have processed it. Consequently- no more purchase of same.
You could always appeal directly, e… The firm’s website is linked above.
A friend of mine who works for the wine department at Cost Plus recommended this wine. I am so glad he did. What a deal at $6.99 a bottle. I would have paid twice as much for this wine. We enjoyed it with, what else, BBQ’d chicken thighs. Full bodied with big bold flavours of plum, cherry, and tobacco with a lovely dark robe. You will not be disappointed with this one. Highly recommended.
I participated in the Rex Goliath rebate offer. Should have received $24 rebate for purchasing 12 bottles. Called number on website and customer service person put me while she checked with the fulfillment center in El Paso, TX. In less than a minute she was back and said that the rebate check was sent out on March 5 and I would have to wait until June 5 before they could issue another. If they found that the check had been cashed, I would not get rebate. Sounds bogus to me.
The past several yrs. I’ve looked for the best value on a big red….quite simply, Rex Goliath merlot and cabernet in the 1500ml bottle, $10.99, win hands down. Plus, at Krogers, I get 10% off on a case (6).
I followed all the directions on the rebate—sent it in a timely manner—did not receive my rebate. I sent an email complaining and asking a favor of a reply—nothing—sent it again—nothing. They have lost a customer! What was the rebate a big “come-on”?