Every year on the 7th of November, wine lovers around the globe unite to celebrate International Merlot Day. As one of the world's most noble and widely cultivated grape varieties, Merlot offers a multitude of flavors ranging from black cherry to hints of vanilla. Its versatility in pairing and smooth characteristics have garnered Merlot a loyal following, making it a beloved staple in vineyards and wine cellars across the globe.
Merlot is a variety mainly used to produce blended and varietal wines in the Bordeaux wine region. The grape presents dark-blue hues and its capability to adapt to several terroirs and climates made it one of the world’s most popular grapes.
In this blog post, we present you the main characteristics of Merlot, tasting notes and which food to pair with Merlot.
Merlot, a Grape with a Brief but Uneasy History
Merlot was first mentioned as a grape used to produce wine around the 18th century in documents found in the Bordeaux wine region. Ever since its appearance in the world of viticulture, Merlot was considered perfect to produce fine and elegant red wines.
As its popularity grew, Merlot started to be widely planted on the Left Bank of the Gironde (especially in Médoc) but, in 1956, a frost devastated the Merlot vines around the entire France. Many vintage Merlots were lost in the 1960s, but French winemakers replanted the vines until the 1970s, when the French government banned any new planting. This was due to an increasing popularity of Merlot around the world.
One curiosity about Merlot is the origin of its name. It actually comes from the word ‘merle’, or ‘merlau’, which both mean black bird in the local dialect. There is no clear explanation on the relationship between the name of the wine and the term for blackbird, but it is probably due to the extremely dark colour of the skin of the Merlot grape.
What Does Merlot Taste Like?
Merlot is a medium to full body wine, with medium-high tannins, a high percentage of alcohol and medium acidity. It is generally a dry wine that presents a bright Bordeaux colour in the glass. We can say that body and colour-wise, Merlot wine lays between Pinot Noir and Syrah.
The primary flavours you can recognise in pretty much every Merlot wine are those of plums, black cherries, blackberry, blackcurrant, vanilla and chocolate. One of the main characteristics of Merlot is its smooth finish on the palate.
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These are the basic and most common characteristics of Merlot, but depending on the region where Merlot is vinified, other aromas can appear and the dryness or the smoothness of the wine can change. For example, Merlot wines from France, Italy or Chile, countries with a relatively cool climate, are more structured compared to other Merlots. These wines are usually more earthy and could taste similar to Cabernet Sauvignon.
Merlot from California, where the climate is warmer, tends to be more fruity and requires oak barrel ageing in order to gain more structure.
Merlot and Food, Made for Each Other
Merlot is a very versatile wine and it can be paired with a wide range of food.
You can easily serve a bottle of Merlot wine, better if international Merlot, for a friendly, informal dinner with your friends and cook for them some Italian-style pasta with tomato sauce and basil. If you are going for a more traditional Merlot, that from Bordeaux, serve it with a nice ratatouille or roast turkey.
Salads, spicy food and white meat like chicken are good alternatives to serve together with a nice bottle of Merlot.
Where Can you Drink Merlot?
France is the number one place to visit if you want to taste some spectacular Merlot, mainly because France is the birthplace of this grape. The two main wine regions where to find Merlot are Bordeaux and Languedoc.
After France, you can have very high quality Merlot in Italy, where almost 38.000 hectares are planted with Merlot. You can find it mainly in Campania and in Tuscany wine regions.
Merlot is widely planted also in the United States, Chile, Australia and Argentina. It’s a pretty global grape that can easily adapt to many different climates and terrors that, in different ways, enhance different characteristics of the grape.
Is Merlot wine always called Merlot? Actually no. Depending on the country or region, Merlot wine can be labelled with a different name. Here are some examples that might help you always identify Merlot:
- Alicante
- Médoc Noir
- Plant du Médoc or Plant Médoc
- Sémillon Rouge
- Seme de la Cana
Wineries Where to Taste the Best Merlot
Château La Croizille
Château La Croizille estate covers an area of five hectares. It boasts a remarkable terroir and superb exposure to the clay and limestone plateau. The De Schepper – De Mour family runs this winery combining their winemaking traditions with cutting-edge technology. Château La Croizille is located on the Right Bank of the Dordogne in Bordeaux and possesses fantastic clay and limestone soils perfect for the cultivation of Merlot.
Château Vieux Mougnac
Château Vieux Mougnac is a symbol of quality and winemaking knowledge in the whole Bordeaux wine region. The winery is located close to the village of Saint Émilion and its 10 hectares of vineyards is mostly planted with red grapes. The winery’s soil is 70 percent Merlot and 30 percent, Cabernet Franc. Since 2012 the winery is certified for its organic farming, which makes its wines even more special.
Château Perron
Château Perron is located in the Lalande-de-Pomerol appellation and it has been the home of the Massonie Family since 1958. Château Perron vineyards coves an area of 36 hectares in AOC Lalande-de-Pomerol. What you can’t miss at Château Perron is their special cuvée 100% Merlot called Château Perron La Fleur premium wine. This cuvée was created to celebrate the arrival of the 21st century and you can get to taste it during your experience.
Azienda Agricola Innocenti
Azienda Agricola Innocenti is a small Italian family-owned winery located in the heart of Tuscany, land of genuine red wine. More precisely, it can be found on a hill 350 meters above sea level overlooking the Montalcino wine region. As any other winery in the region, the Azienda Agricola Innocenti specialty is red wines produced using Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet grapes.
Terre di San Rocco
Founded in 1999, Terre di San Rocco winery tells the fascinating story of a man’s passion for his land and for ancient traditions. Located in Roncade, a town close to Treviso between the Venetian lagoon and Montello hills, Terre di San Rocco is a small winery surrounded by endless vineyards that perfectly represent the changing season with its beautiful vibrant colours. Merlot is one of the main red grapes grown at this excellent winery.
Colmano
With over 8 hectares of vines, Colmano has been dedicating itself to cultivate the ripest of fruits to produce the most premium of wines. Vineyards at Colmano are divided into three sections that present different soil types, Morrocco, Poggio Secco, and Bonazza. Poggio Secco borders on one side with the forest and its clayey-sandy soil is a prime location for growing grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
MontGras Winery
MontGras Winery’s mission has been clear since day 1: consistently create world class wines from Chile’s best wine region, Colchagua Valley. In 1993 two brothers, Hernan and Eduardo Gras, began to build MontGras Winery, combining state-of-the-art technology with the talent and passion of an extraordinary group of people.
Santa Ema
Santa Ema Winery was founded by Don Pedro Pavone Voglino together with his son Felix Pavone Arbea in 1956. The winery is equipped with advanced technology and modern infrastructure, ideal for the creation of high-quality Chilean wines. Their vineyards are present in some of the region’s best areas, namely, Maipo Piroque, Maipo Costa Leyda, and Maipo Middle Island.
