Merlot - The palate-pleaser

Merlot is one of the world's favourite red wines. No wonder, this dark wine is a delight for the palate, with flavours of juicy dark fruits, velvety tannins, mild acidity and a silky texture. Opulent yet gentle, Merlot often comes from warm growing regions such as South Africa. Around 267,000 hectares of vineyards worldwide are planted with the uncomplicated Merlot grape. Merlot is often used for cuvées; single-varietal Merlot grapes are mainly processed from high-altitude hillside vineyards. Merlot is also used to make the most exclusive and expensive wine in the world: "Château Pétrus".

More about Merlot

Profiles

The Merlot is a palate-pleaser. It impresses with an aroma of juicy plums, notes of blackberries and blueberries and velvety tannins. It has a silky texture and a slightly bitter finish. The red wine is also smooth and full-bodied thanks to its mild acidity and relatively high sugar content, which is why it is usually very high in alcohol.

Fruit★★★★

Body★★★★

Tannin★★★★

Acidity★★★

Alcohol★★★★

Flavours

Wine lovers love Merlot, it is one of the most popular red wine varieties in the world. It scores with its diverse flavours, fruitiness and often opulent appearance. Merlot from warm growing regions such as South Africa, Australia or California has predominantly blackberry, berry jam and vanilla flavours. In cooler climates such as France and Chile, flavours of red plum and cedar predominate. If the red wine is matured in American oak, dill and cedar flavours develop. Merlot can be drunk young, but if it matures longer, it becomes softer and the herbal flavour dominates.

Dominant notes:

- Raspberry
- black cherry
- persimmon
- chocolate
- cedar

Possible notes:

- Herbs/flowers: Violet, bay leaf, sage, aniseed
- Red fruit: American blueberry, redcurrant, cherry, raspberry, red plum
- Dark fruit: persimmon, black cherry, blueberry, blackberry
- Dried fruit: fruit cake, fig
- Earth/Other: New leather, potting soil, clay pot
- Secondary notes: Cream
- Aged in oak: vanilla, chocolate, baking spices, incense, cedar, coffee, toffee

Harmonises with

Merlot harmonises with almost any meal. It is often served with meat dishes of all kinds. It goes well with dark meat, a hearty T-bone steak or game dishes. Whether with Italian cuisine, a cold dinner or a mature cheese buffet - the full-bodied Merlot is always the right choice. Cosy evenings with friends become a highlight with Merlots from overseas.

General information

The Merlot grape is one of the "Cépages Nobles", i.e. the noblest and most important grape varieties in the world. It was created by crossing the extinct Magdeleine Noire des Charentes variety with Cabernet Franc. The vine originally came from Bordeaux, where it was already to be found in the 14th century. Today, it is one of the three most important red wine grape varieties in Bordeaux. The name Merlot also comes from the French. It is based on the word "merle" (blackbird). It is thought that the grape got its name because its black-blue colouring is very similar to the plumage of the blackbird. Another explanation could be the blackbird's preference for Merlot grapes.

Merlot is widespread in many growing regions around the world, with a focus on the New World, where the red wine grape has been increasingly cultivated in recent decades. Around 267,000 hectares of vineyards are planted with Merlot vines, mainly in South Africa, France, the United States, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Australia, Chile and Italy. In Bordeaux, France, it is still the most common grape variety.

The advantage of Merlot vines is that they thrive in many climatic zones and on a wide variety of soils, although they prefer light soils with a good water supply. They do not tolerate harsh climates so well, as they are not very hardy, sprout early and therefore flowering is jeopardised by late frost. Otherwise, Merlot vines are uncomplicated and are known for consistently producing good yields. This makes Merlot a frequently used base wine for blends. Single-varietal, high-quality Melot comes primarily from vineyards on slopes in high-altitude terroirs, especially overseas.

Due to the early flowering of the vines, the grapes ripen quite early and still score with a good must weight. The dark red wines with their velvety character are processed into cuvées, particularly in Europe, which have something to offer for all wine tastes. They range from light to powerful, from soft to sensual. Among the wines made from the Merlot grape is also the most exclusive and expensive wine in the world: "Château Pétrus".