Merlot (France)

Merlot is a red wine grape from Bordeaux in France.

New to red wine? Start with Merlot!

Profile

Merlot is a medium wine with medium tannins and acidity:

Body
Tannins
Fruit
Acidity

Flavors

Black Cherries. Dark Berries. Blueberry. Blackcurrant.

Plum. Jam. Rhubarb. Violets.

Notes of Herbs. Mint. Thyme. Oregano. Tomato Leaves. Fennel.

Oak. Chocolate. Vanilla. Licorice. Baking Spices.

Food Pairing

The easy-drinking and velvety Merlot goes well with food and alone.

Merlot pairs well with the same food as Cabernet Sauvignon.

Red Meat Dishes. Roasted Lamb. Casseroles. Beef Stew.
Italian Dishes (Tomato Based). Baked Pasta. Lasagne. Spaghetti Meatballs.
Fried or Grilled Mushrooms.

Serving temperatures:
Unoaked 14-15°C (57-59°F)
Oaked 16-17°C (61-63°F)

About Merlot

Merlot is one of the primary grapes used in Red Bordeaux blends, along with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

It adds softness and mouth-watering fruit creating the perfect marriage with the more masculine grape Cabernet Sauvignon. The name Merlot derives from French "Merle" (Blackbird) for its dark color.

100% Merlot wines exist and they are some of the world´s most expensive wines such Chateau Petrus (Pomerol, Bordeaux) or Ornellaia (Bolgheri, Tuscany).

Merlot is known to be easy to drink, both alone and with food and therefor a perfect introduction to redwine for the newcomers.

Merlot DNA

Parents: grapes Cabernet Franc and Magdeleine Noire des Charentes.

Sibling grapes: Carmenere and Malbec.

Merlot in France

The best Merlots are produced in Pomerol in Bordeaux, where the soil makes wines with more flavor and complexity than usual. The neighboring area of Saint Émilion uses more Cabernet Franc in the mix, and lighter wines are made here than in Pomerol.

Merlot is the second most planted grape in the world.

You can read more about the Merlot grape at Merlot Grapes.

You can read more about the world wide production of Merlot at Merlot Regions.

The Ideal Glass

The shape of the glass does in fact change the taste of the wine!

The Bordeaux glass is the perfect gass for full bodied red wines like:

The Bordeaux glass is taller than other red wine glasses. It also has a slimmer bowl.

The slimmer bowl has the function of sending the wine directly to the back of the mouth for a maximum taste.