Merlot - the gentle grape unfairly mocked
Merlot is probably the most unfairly ridiculed grape in the history of wine. For many people it is a synonym for a cheap, dull red wine, and the blame for this opinion is largely laid on a single Hollywood film. Yet the truth is quite different: Merlot is one of the noble grapes of the world, the source of some of the most expensive and prized wines on earth. It is a soft, velvety and generous grape, ideal both for beginning a journey with red wine and for connoisseurs. It is worth getting to know its true face and understanding where this unjust reputation came from.
Where the gentle character comes from
The key to Merlot lies in one word: softness. It is a grape that, compared with the raw, tannic Cabernet Sauvignon, gives rounder, smoother and more approachable wines. The tannins, the compounds that give an astringent, grippy impression, are gentler and more velvety in Merlot, and the fruit is riper and juicier.
A typical Merlot profile is a bouquet of ripe, dark fruit: plum, black cherry and berries, often with a note of chocolate, cocoa, and sometimes herbs and delicate spice. The wine is usually medium to full in body but without sharp edges, rather rounded and plush. That is why Merlot is so easy to like: it does not attack but envelops. I cover tannins in tannins in wine and the body of a wine in wine body.
The Sideways effect, or how a film harmed a grape
To understand Merlot’s bad reputation, you have to go back to 2004 and the American film Sideways. Its main character, a wine connoisseur, in one scene declares with contempt that he will not drink any Merlot, while praising Pinot Noir. The scene struck a nerve and triggered a phenomenon called the Sideways effect: Merlot sales in the United States actually fell, while Pinot Noir gained in popularity.
It is one of the best-documented cases of pop culture influencing the wine market. The trouble is that the irony lies in the film itself: the wine the character treasures is a Bordeaux blend in which Merlot usually plays first fiddle. In other words, in despising Merlot he was praising a wine made largely from Merlot. The myth that Merlot is inferior, however, spread faster than this subtlety.
Merlot versus Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot is best understood alongside its closest partner and rival, Cabernet Sauvignon. These are the two most important Bordeaux grapes, and the difference between them is instructive. Cabernet gives strong, tannic, structured wines with notes of blackcurrant, cedar and tobacco, often requiring years of ageing. Merlot is gentler, fruitier and ready to drink sooner.
That is why these two grapes are so often combined in one wine: Cabernet gives the skeleton and structure, Merlot fills the middle with soft, juicy fruit and smooths the tannins. It is one of the most famous grape marriages in the history of wine. I cover Cabernet itself in Cabernet Sauvignon.
Pomerol and Saint-Emilion, the kingdom of Merlot
Here is the moment to debunk the myth for good. The most expensive, most cult wines of Merlot are made on the right bank of Bordeaux, in the appellations of Pomerol and Saint-Emilion. These are wines for which collectors pay fortunes and which age for decades.
In Pomerol, on clay soils, Merlot gives wines of an extraordinarily velvety texture, with a deep flavour of black cherry, plum and a note of truffle, which with age become meaty and chocolatey. In Saint-Emilion, on limestone-clay soils, Merlot is often combined with Cabernet Franc, giving structured, elegant wines with notes of dark fruit, chocolate and spice. It is proof that Merlot can be a wine of the highest class and ageing potential, far from the cheap stereotype. I mention how soil shapes a wine in types of wine.
Two styles of Merlot in the world
Like many grapes, Merlot takes on different faces depending on the climate in which it grows. It is worth knowing the two main styles, because they decide what to expect in the glass.
- The cooler style, classic for Bordeaux, gives more savoury, structured wines with earthy, herbal and red-fruit notes, higher acidity and greater ageing potential.
- The warmer style, typical of New World regions such as California or Chile, gives fuller, more fruity and jammy wines with notes of ripe plum, chocolate and vanilla from oak, ready to drink young.
This distinction explains why one Merlot can be elegant and restrained while another is juicy and plush. Both are genuine, they simply express a different style of the same grape.
Merlot beyond Bordeaux
Although the spiritual home of Merlot is Bordeaux, the grape has spread across the world and can be great far from France too. It is worth knowing a few addresses, because they show how different the faces it can wear are. In Italy, especially in Tuscany, Merlot became one of the pillars of the famous Super Tuscan wines, and some bottles based on this grape are among the most expensive and highly rated wines of Italy. It is striking proof that Merlot can play in the top league.
In the New World Merlot does very well in Chile, where it gives juicy, fruity and affordable wines, ideal for every day. California, especially the Napa Valley, produces full, ripe, rich Merlots with notes of plum, chocolate and vanilla. Washington State, in turn, is famous for more structured and savoury versions, closer to the spirit of Bordeaux. Each of these regions adds its own accent, but the common denominator stays the same: a soft, fruity approachability that makes Merlot so loved around the world.
Why it is worth going back to Merlot
Merlot is a great choice for several practical reasons. First, it is friendly to beginners, because its soft tannins and fruitiness do not put people off the way raw, tannic wines can. It is an excellent gateway to the world of red wine. Second, it is versatile at the table: it suits meats, poultry, pasta with tomato sauces and many cheeses, because it does not overwhelm the dish. Third, it offers a huge price range, from pleasant everyday wines to great, collectible bottles from Bordeaux.
If you once rejected Merlot under the influence of fashion or a borrowed opinion, it is worth giving it a second chance. Try a good Merlot from the right bank of Bordeaux or a solid bottle from the New World, and you will find that gentleness is not the same as dullness.
How to explore it
The best way to understand Merlot is to set a glass of savoury, structured Merlot from Bordeaux beside a full, fruity one from a warm climate, and for contrast add a Cabernet Sauvignon. You will immediately feel what the softness of Merlot is about and why it complements the rawer Cabernet so well. In GustoNote you record the fruitiness, tannins, body and your impressions of each wine, and after a few entries you will see whether you prefer Merlot elegant and savoury or juicy and plush. It turns a mocked stereotype into a deliberately chosen flavour. You will find a full overview of types in types of wine.