You want a red that just gets on with it. Pour Gato Negro Merlot and you get soft, plummy, berry-jammy wine with no sharp edges and no homework required. Tannins so smooth they barely register, fruit that leans a little sweet, and a finish that hangs around just long enough. This is the bottle for a Friday with mates, a plate of nyama choma, or a slow night in front of something on the TV. And it comes in 1.5L, so the glass refills without anyone needing to get up.
Stick your nose in and it's all ripe plum and red berries, with a little vanilla and a whisper of liquorice hiding behind. The first sip is medium-bodied and properly fruity, dark cherry and jammy berries up front, dry but with that sweet-fruit roundness that makes it so easy to keep sipping. The tannins (the grippy, drying bit in big reds) are soft here, so nothing scrapes. It finishes clean and moderately long, fruit lingering rather than fading. Friendly, not fussy.
The details
Pairs well with
Where it's from
Gato Negro means black cat, and the story is sweeter than the marketing usually gets. It started in 1960 as a tribute to a black cat who hung around the cellar beside Viña San Pedro's first winemaker, the kind of companion every workshop seems to adopt. The label stuck, and Gato Negro became San Pedro's best-selling wine, now poured in more than 80 countries. The winery itself is old-school Chilean royalty, founded back in 1865 in the Curicó Valley, where long sunny days and cool nights ripen Merlot into exactly this kind of soft, fruity, friendly red.
Good to know
- What is the price of Gato Negro Merlot 1.5L?
Gato Negro Merlot 1.5L is KSh 2,199 at Oaks & Corks. Order online for fast delivery across Nairobi, usually within the hour, or next day countrywide.
- What does Gato Negro Merlot 1.5L taste like?
Soft and fruity. Think ripe plum and jammy red berries with a hint of vanilla and liquorice, smooth tannins and a dry but rounded finish. Medium-bodied and very easy to drink.
- What is the ABV of Gato Negro Merlot?
It's 13% ABV, right in the comfortable middle for a Chilean red.
- How do I serve Gato Negro Merlot?
Slightly cool, around 16 to 18°C, in a normal red wine glass. If it's warm out, pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes first. No decanting needed.
- What food pairs with Gato Negro Merlot?
Anything off the grill. Nyama choma, steak, burgers, mbuzi stew, or a sharp cheese board. It loves red meat and tomato-rich dishes.
- Where is Gato Negro Merlot from?
Chile. It's made by Viña San Pedro in the Curicó Valley, a winery going since 1865, and Gato Negro has been their flagship since 1960.
- How many glasses are in the 1.5L bottle?
Roughly ten standard glasses, double a normal 750ml bottle. Sorted for a group or a long evening without a top-up run.
Gato Negro Merlot 1.5L
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Gato Negro Merlot 1.5L price in Kenya
Buy Gato Negro Merlot 1.5L online in Nairobi, Kenya. Available in 2 sizes — Gato Negro Merlot 1.5L at KSh 2,199, 750 ml at KSh 1,309 — with fast delivery across Nairobi, usually within 30 minutes, or next-day countrywide.
- Gato Negro Merlot 1.5LKSh 2,199
- 750 mlKSh 1,309