
Merlot
Learn about Merlot — taste profile, popular regions and more ...
An easy-going red variety with generous fruit and a supple texture, Merlot can be made into a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the best wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol where it is blended with Cabernet Franc. On the Left Bank in the Medoc, it plays a supporting role to Cabernet Sauvignon—in both cases resulting in some of the longest-lived and highest-quality wines in the world. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly from California’s Napa Valley.
Tasting Notes for Merlot
Merlot is a dry, red wine known for its soft, silky texture and approachable flavors of ripe plum, red and black cherry and raspberry. From cool climates, Merlot wines will express earthy and herbal notes, while Merlot from warmer regions is generally more straightforward and fruit-focused.
Perfect Food Pairings for Merlot
Lamb with Merlot is an ideal match—the sweetness of the meat picks up on the sweet fruit flavors of the wine to create a harmonious balance. Merlot’s gentle tannins allow for a hint of spice and its medium weight and bright acidity are a hit with pizza or pasta with red sauce—overall, an extremely versatile food wine.
Sommelier Secrets for Merlot
Since the release of the 2004 film Sideways, Merlot's reputation has taken a big hit, and more than a decade later has yet to fully recover, though it is on its way. What most viewers didn't realize was that as much as Miles derided the variety, the prized wine of his collection—a 1961 Château Cheval Blanc—is made from a blend of Merlot with Cabernet Franc.
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Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana 2019Merlot from Tuscany, Italy
- JS
- RP
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Chateau La Bastienne Montagne-St.-Emilion 2016Merlot from Bordeaux, France
- JS
- WW
- RP
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Oberon Merlot 2019Merlot from Napa Valley, California
- WW
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Markham Merlot 2018Merlot from Napa Valley, California
- WS
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Hourglass Blueline Vineyard Merlot 2019Merlot from Napa Valley, California
- RP
- JD
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Cakebread Merlot 2018Merlot from Napa Valley, California
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Duckhorn Napa Valley Merlot 2019Merlot from Napa Valley, California
- WW
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Napa Cellars Merlot 2019Merlot from Napa Valley, California
- JS
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Chateau Marsau 2016Merlot from Cotes de Francs, Bordeaux, France
- JS
- WS
- WE
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Trentadue La Storia Merlot 2018Merlot from Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California
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Textbook Merlot 2019Merlot from Napa Valley, California
- WS
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Leonetti Merlot 2020Merlot from Walla Walla Valley, Columbia Valley, Washington
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Emmolo Merlot 2019Merlot from Napa Valley, California
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Decoy Merlot 2019Merlot from Sonoma County, California
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Wine Spots Napa Valley Merlot 2015Merlot from Napa Valley, California
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Silverado Mt. George Merlot 2018Merlot from Napa Valley, California
- TP
- WW
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Ancient Peaks Paso Robles Merlot 2019Merlot from Santa Margarita Ranch, Paso Robles, Central Coast, California
- TP
- WE
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Apothic Merlot 2019Merlot from California
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Stags' Leap Winery Merlot 2019Merlot from Napa Valley, California
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Rutherford Hill Merlot 2019Merlot from Napa Valley, California
- WS
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Wente Sandstone Merlot 2020Merlot from Livermore Valley, Central Coast, California
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Charles Krug Napa Valley Merlot 2019Merlot from Napa Valley, California
- JS
- WW
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Gundlach Bundschu Merlot 2018Merlot from Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California
- WE
- JD
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Charles Smith Wines Velvet Devil Merlot 2019Merlot from Washington
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Santa Ema Reserve Merlot 2018Merlot from Maipo Valley, Chile
- WS