Our take
Magistrate Merlot Red Wine
- Style
- Red wine
- Size
- 750 ml
- Grape
- Merlot
- Shelf barcode
- 0839728002498
Our take
What we make of this bottle
Shoppers have not been kind to this Merlot: its 3.8 out of five, from 5 ratings, is one of the lower marks among the wines we track, and in our September 2026 checks the shelf price started as low as $15.88. The grape research says Merlot can make a wine on its own or soften a Cabernet-led blend, generally ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon and often has a rounder structure. Regional guides describe plum and other red or dark fruit, with tannin that pushes less hard than Cabernet's, and our grape research adds that climate and blending can leave it fresh and medium-bodied or turn it broad and rich.
The price barely moved. Nowhere in those same September 2026 checks did it climb past $16.99. Across the stores we checked, the number stayed close together. We have no confirmed account of who makes it, so the real test is in the glass. At a steady, middling price and a modest score, is a Merlot like this worth pouring on trust, or one to taste first before you count on it?
The Grocery Store Wine Desk · written Sep 16, 2026 from our research file for this wine. Numbers reflect our latest checks.
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Read our take →The prices we checked
Dated store checks, not a promise about your store.
- Kroger, Atlanta suburbs, GA$16.88
- Kroger, Cincinnati, OH$16.88
- Ralphs, Long Beach, CA$15.88
- Fred Meyer, Portland, OR$16.88
- King Soopers, Colorado Springs, CO$16.88
- Smith's, Las Vegas, NV$16.88
- Kroger, Knoxville, TN$16.88
- Kroger, Richmond, VA$16.88
- Fry's, Tucson, AZ$16.88
- QFC, Tacoma, WA$16.99
The regular price can vary by store and date.
Research status
What we are still checking
Our overview above draws on the dated store feed, shopper ratings, our region and grape research, and any sourced producer facts. We are still working to confirm the current release, the full producer record, and the bottle itself, and we update this page as we learn more.
Getting to know Merlot.
Merlot is a red grape that can make a complete wine or soften a Cabernet-led blend. It generally ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon and often has a rounder structure.
Category guide
What to expect in the glass
Regional guides describe plum and other red or dark fruit, with less forceful tannin than Cabernet Sauvignon in many examples. Climate and blending can make it fresh and medium-bodied or broader and richer.
Sources: New Zealand Winegrowers; Napa Valley Vintners. Checked Aug 10, 2026. See all 28 Merlot wines we cover →
Where this information comes from
- Store listing
- Price, package, product identifier, and shopper rating. Checked Aug 10, 2026.
- Barcode
- The shelf barcode shown here is computed from the store product identifier. It has not been checked against a bottle.
- Method
- Every price, rating and fact here is a dated observation. How we check.