
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.
- Cabernet Sauvignon152
- Pinot Noir152
- Bordeaux Red Blends109
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- Other Red Blends58
- Syrah/Shiraz50
- Nebbiolo50
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- Malbec38
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- Merlot9
- Gamay8
- Zinfandel7
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Chateau La Bastienne Montagne-St.-Emilion 2016Merlot from Bordeaux, France
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Cotarella Sodale Merlot 2015Merlot from Lazio, Italy
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Pedestal Merlot 2017Merlot from Columbia Valley, Washington
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Hourglass Blueline Vineyard Merlot 2018Merlot from Napa Valley, California
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Masseto (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2017Merlot from Tuscany, Italy
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La Jota Howell Mountain Merlot 2017Merlot from Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, California
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Andrew Will Winery Champoux Vineyard Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 2017Merlot from Horse Heaven Hills, Columbia Valley, Washington
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Cotarella Montiano 2015Merlot from Lazio, Italy
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Leonetti Merlot 2018Merlot from Walla Walla Valley, Columbia Valley, Washington
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