Your guide to red grapes | Buying Merlot
Merlot scarcely requires a lengthy introduction. The grape is planted in every corner of the earth, ranging from the snow-capped mountains of Chile to the limestone hills of St-Emilion, Bordeaux. It is also a variety that cannot be pigeonholed. Frequently blended with Cabernet Sauvignon across Bordeaux, Merlot is also used to make outstanding single-varietal red wine. In fact, Merlot shares one parent with Cabernet Sauvignon: Cabernet Franc.
Despite the protestations of Miles, the Merlot-hating character from the film Sideways, it does not play second fiddle to Pinot Noir. Merlot reaches an apogee in Pomerol, where it is responsible for the legendary wine Château Pétrus. It contributes to some of the most voluptuous and hedonistic wines out there.
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What is Merlot like?
Think of Merlot as a softer, fleshier cousin of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Like its blending partner, high-quality Merlot is aromatic and complex. However, its larger berries contain relatively less tannin and acid. As a result, Merlot tends to produce softer, opulent red wine with a velvety texture. It is endowed with relatively thin skins which turn purple-blue as they ripen. Merlot ripens sooner than Cabernet Sauvignon and yields high alcohol in hot vintages. Conversely, unripe Merlot has an unpleasant, distinctly vegetal quality. The timing of the harvest is crucial here.
Nevertheless, top-quality Merlot is a delightful drink. Its sensory appeal is easy to understand: young wines are open and structured, with sumptuous blackberry, black cherry and plum fruit. Yet the structure (unlike Cabernet Sauvignon) rarely obscures primary fruit expression. With age, tertiary flavours of dark chocolate, fruit cake, cinnamon and black truffle will likely emerge as you swirl the glass. The finest Merlot-dominant Bordeaux wines, such as Château La Dominique and l’Evangile, can improve in bottle for many decades. Yet impatient oenophiles will find much to enjoy in youthful Merlot due to the moderate tannin levels.
Merlot by wine region
Bordeaux
Merlot is the most planted grape in Bordeaux. Indeed, it is the principal variety used in the Right Bank wines, from Pomerol and St-Emilion. Yet it is also essential in Medoc reds and widely planted in Graves, Fronsac, and Blaye/Bourg. Although Merlot is rarely more than 35 per cent of the final blend, it contributes much-valued softness, enhancing both the texture and mouthfeel.
The grape variety prefers clay soils, particularly the crasse de fer (iron-rich red clay) of Pomerol. The best Merlot from the Right Bank is powerfully structured, concentrated, and endowed with exquisite perfume.
Italy
One of the world’s most expensive Merlot wines is produced in Tuscany: Masseto. The vines are cultivated on rock-hard clusters of blue clay known as ‘massi’, hence the name. Infamous for its low yields and exceptional terroir, Masseto produces some of the most opulent Merlot, and is known as a “Super Tuscan” wine. However, this is merely the tip of the iceberg. Merlot is grown across Italy in regions as diverse as Alto Adige, Bolgheri, Umbria, and Sicily.
Chile
For over a hundred years, Merlot has been successfully grown in the vineyards of Chile. Yet there was an endemic case of mistaken identity in the 20th century, as many of the plantings turned out to be Carménère. However, new clones of Merlot were planted in the late 1990s, vines producing some of South America’s best-value red. Stylistically, it varies a great deal, ranging from the voluptuous wines of Maule to the bright, elegant wines made in the cooler Aconcagua Valley. It is seldom expensive.
Australia
Australia has never been widely associated with Merlot (unlike Syrah and Chardonnay in south eastern Australia), yet it produces some of the world’s best examples. Without a shadow of a doubt, Western Australia is the nation’s closest approximation of the Bordeaux style; there is both finesse and ripeness in Margaret River’s best Merlot wines, often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. They offer (relatively) moderate alcohol, savoury tannins, and beautiful acid.
New Zealand
Although Sauvignon Blanc continues to drive exports of New Zealand wine, the country has a vast offering. Among other styles, Merlot is very popular in Hawke’s Bay on the North Island, producing elegant, medium-bodied reds. The Merlot here is a direct reflection of its terroir. The best vineyard sites on the Gimblett Gravels are infertile, warm soils covered in shingle fragments. Further north, the vineyards covering Waiheke Island can yield some exceptional Merlot.
USA
California produces a great deal of gloriously indulgent Merlot, particularly in the Rutherford and Stags Leap sub-regions of Napa Valley. Mono-varietal expressions are far from uncommon, although leading Napa wineries, such as Harlan Estate, prefer to market a traditional Bordeaux blend. Regardless, the fruit notes in California’s North Coast can be sublime (ditto the Central Coast between San Francisco and Los Angeles). In addition, some outstanding examples are being crafted in Washington State, particularly in Walla Walla and Wahluke Slope.
Viticulture and winemaking
From one perspective, Merlot is more straightforward to grow than Cabernet Sauvignon. It ripens about two weeks earlier than Cabernet, a key advantage in cooler years. Yet it is also quite susceptible to spring frost attacks, as the vines tend to bud earlier. In addition, Merlot is known to overproduce in good vintages unless it is judiciously pruned and subject to green harvesting (removing specific grape bunches, allowing the vine to optimise the remaining fruit). It can also suffer from downy mildew and rot during wet weather.
Winemaking philosophies inevitably vary from property to property. However, quality-focused estates will only use hand-harvested fruit, typically (but not always) destemmed; a certain percentage of berry stalks can add welcome structure to the wine if they are ripe. Many chateaux also employ a sorting machine to discard imperfect bunches. After the grapes have been destemmed, they are usually crushed. But again, some winemakers prefer to ferment whole bunches in the vat slowly.
After fermentation, most Merlot wines with pretensions to quality are matured in wood. This is a vital part of the winemaking process: the gentle infusion of wine with oxygen (barrel staves are slightly porous) enhances the texture. It also gives the wine more roundness and harmony. Maturation in new oak can help ‘smooth out’ firm tannins (it makes the chains of molecules longer, and they feel softer in the mouth). However, too much new oak can overwhelm the notes of fruit.
How to choose the best Merlot wine
There is no scarcity of exceptional Merlot. Collectors have long idolised the wines of St-Emilion and Pomerol – Merlot wines at their most seductive and profound. Yet there are very few single-varietal labels made in Bordeaux. For the most part, winemakers prefer to include a dollop of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon in the final blend. Chateau Petrus is one of the few estates that often markets a 100% Merlot Grand Vin. Le Pin is another example. Reserved for millionaires; a bottle of either could set you back thousands of pounds.
Thankfully, an abundant supply of varietal Merlot is available from the New World. Much of it is excellent: supple, lush, and easy-going from lesser sites, powerfully structured from outstanding terroir in select parts of the US, Australia, New Zealand, and Chile. The vast majority of brands are very affordable. However, the best Merlot can be expensive but worth it. Indeed, top Napa Valley Merlot is a convincing alternative to Pomerol, albeit the fruity notes are likely to sit at the riper, lusher end of the spectrum.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Merlot wine is the easiest to drink?
Chilean Merlot tends to be easy-drinking, ready for drinking young and very attractively priced. The wines are typically soft and very fruity – effortless to drink!
What food should I serve with Merlot?
Right Bank Bordeaux is sublime with roast rib of beef or well-hung venison. New World wines, particularly ripe and expressive interpretations, can handle heavier food pairings; richly sauced meat dishes, casseroles, and BBQ/grilled meats.
Is Merlot better with age?
The vast majority of wines can be enjoyed at a young age. However, top-quality Merlot can improve in bottle for at least a decade, becoming more complex and velvety with bottle age. A good vintage of St-Emilion will be at its peak 10-15 years after the harvest date.
Which is sweeter, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon?
In warm climates, the Merlot grape will often yield wines with high sugar levels and alcohol. It reaches maturity faster than the Cabernet family; as a result, ripeness levels can be intense. This creates the impression of sweetness on the palate due to the rich fruit and plum we readily associate with Merlot.
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