
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 repuation has taken a big hit, and more than a decade later has yet to fully recover, though it is on its way. What many 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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Meishar Winery Merlot 2011Merlot from Israel
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Waterbrook Reserve Merlot 2011Merlot from Columbia Valley, Washington
- WS
- TP
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Maryhill Merlot 2011Merlot from Columbia Valley, Washington
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Charles Smith Wines Velvet Devil Merlot 2011Merlot from Columbia Valley, Washington
- D
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Ridge Estate Merlot 2011Merlot from Central Coast, California
- WE
- W&S
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Petrolo Galatrona 2011Merlot from Tuscany, Italy
- JS
- WS
- RP
- W&S
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Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot 2011Merlot from Columbia Valley, Washington
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Decoy Merlot 2011Merlot from Sonoma County, California
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Miner Family Stagecoach Vineyard Merlot 2011Merlot from Napa Valley, California
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Cakebread Merlot 2011Merlot from Napa Valley, California
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Leonetti Merlot (scuffed labels) 2011Merlot from Walla Walla Valley, Columbia Valley, Washington
- WE
- RP
- WS
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Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Prologue Merlot 2011Merlot from Central Coast, California
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Frescobaldi Castelgiocondo Lamaione 2011Merlot from Tuscany, Italy
- JS
- WS
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Scheid Vineyards Merlot 2011Merlot from Central Coast, California
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Clarendon Hills Brookman Merlot 2011Merlot from McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia
- WW
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3 Girls Merlot 2011Merlot from Lodi, California
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Coach House Cellars Merlot 2011Merlot from Columbia Valley, Washington
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Five Rivers Merlot 2011Merlot from Monterey, Central Coast, California
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Woodward Canyon Columbia Valley Merlot 2011Merlot from Columbia Valley, Washington
- RP
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Fleur du Cap Merlot 2011Merlot from South Africa
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Raymond R Collection Merlot 2011Merlot from California
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Maggio Family Vineyards Merlot 2011Merlot from California
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Efeste Upright Merlot 2011Merlot from Columbia Valley, Washington
- WS
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Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Merlot 2011Merlot from Colchagua Valley, Rapel Valley, Chile
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ONEHOPE California Merlot 2011Merlot from California