The brief was a tough one - find a red that we can call the greatest value Merlot on our list. It meant covering Chile top to toe and tasting over 1,000 wines. And one wine stood out - The Patriots. This quality of Merlot from Australia or California? Hard to find. Saint-Emilion? Double the price. The Patriots has Bordeaux style elegance plus a smooth juiciness that's uniquely Chilean - gently oaked with silken berry flavours. And the Santa Rita estate (highly regarded by fine wine critic Robert Parker) helped shape Chile's history - its cellar proved a useful hiding place for Chilean patriots fighting for independence from Spain in 1814.