🍇 Merlot
One of the world's most widely grown red grapes, native to Bordeaux; it makes soft wines.
Merlot is a dark-skinned wine grape from Bordeaux in France. According to the OIV, in 2015 it was grown in 37 countries on 266 thousand ha, or 3% of the world's vineyards. Among wine grapes, only Cabernet Sauvignon covered a larger area.
Based on DNA markers, the VIVC catalogue names two French varieties as Merlot's parents: Magdeleine Noire des Charentes and Cabernet Franc. So Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon share a parent. Merlot entered Bordeaux wines in the early nineteenth century and spread around the world on the strength of their fame.
In France it is the most widely planted variety: 112 thousand ha, or 13.9% of the vineyards, and the only one to exceed 100 thousand ha. In Italy it covered 24 thousand ha in 2015, but over five years its area shrank by 16%. Merlot is also among the main varieties of Chile, Romania and Australia.
The vine buds and flowers early, ripens mid-season and easily overripens in a hot climate. It is susceptible to downy mildew, powdery mildew, grey rot and drought; in Bordeaux it yields 6–11 t/ha. According to the OIV, Merlot wines are round, structured and dark; in a blend they soften more astringent wines.
Why it matters to you. The name “Merlot” on the label of an EU wine means at least 85% of this variety. If Cabernet Sauvignon is named next to it, the wine has to be made from these two varieties only, with the larger share listed first. Red wines are served at 15–18 °C.
How it connects to Wine
🍇 Merlot → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🍇 Grape varieties
- Origin
- 🗺️ French wine
- Where it grows
- Moldova: 📍 Codru, 📜 Romănești, 📜 Răzeni, 📜 Nisporeni, 📜 Bulboaca, 📍 Mileștii Mici, 📍 Valul lui Traian, 📜 Ciumai, 📜 Comrat, 📜 Cimișlia
France: 📍 Bordeaux, 📍 Médoc, 📍 Graves, 📍 Libournais, 📍 Entre-Deux-Mers, 📍 Blaye and Bourg, 📍 South West France, 📍 Bergeracois
Romania: 📍 Muntenia and Oltenia Hills, 📍 Dealu Mare, 📍 Babadag, 📍 Danube Terraces, 📍 Ostrov, 📍 Southern Sands, 📍 Sadova-Corabia
Ukraine: 📍 Kulevcha, 📍 Kherson region, 📍 Oleshky Sands, 📍 Kacha Valley, 📍 Alma Valley
Türkiye: 📍 Thrace, 📍 Kırklareli, 📍 Aegean, 📍 Manisa, 📍 Mediterraneanand 17 more
Italy: 📍 Tuscany, 📍 Friuli Grave, 📍 Bolgheri
Switzerland: 📍 Ticino, 📍 Sopraceneri, 📍 Sottoceneri
Montenegro: 📍 Montenegrin Littoral, 📍 Bay of Kotor
Albania: 📍 Central Albania, 📍 Durrës
Bulgaria: 📍 Thracian Lowland, 📍 Sakar
Slovenia: 📍 Primorska, 📍 Goriška Brda
Spain: 📍 Navarre, 📍 Aragon
Malta: 📍 Malta (island) - Main grape in
- France: 📜 Haut-Médoc, 📜 Pauillac, 📜 Pessac-Léognan, 📜 Pomerol, 📜 Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, 📜 Cahors, 📜 Margaux, 📜 Saint-Estèphe, 📜 Saint-Emilion, 📜 Saint-Julien
and 35 more
📍 Bordeaux, 📜 Bordeaux Supérieur, 📜 Fronsac, 📜 Lalande-de-Pomerol, 📜 Listrac-Médoc, 📜 Bourg / Côtes de Bourg, 📜 Côtes de Bordeaux, 📜 Limoux, 📜 Bergerac, 📍 Graves, 📍 Médoc, 📜 Pays d'Oc, 📜 Buzet, 📜 Cabardès, 📜 Coteaux de Glanes, 📜 Crémant de Bordeaux, 📜 Côtes de Duras, 📜 Graves de Vayres, 📜 Montravel, 📜 Brulhois, 📜 Canon-Fronsac, 📜 Corrèze, 📜 Côtes du Marmandais, 📜 Lussac-Saint-Émilion, 📜 Malepère, 📜 Montagne-Saint-Émilion, 📜 Blaye, 📜 Coteaux du Quercy, 📜 Côtes de Bergerac, 📜 Moulis-en-Médoc, 📜 Puisseguin Saint-Emilion, 📜 Pécharmant, 📜 Saint-Georges-Saint-Emilion, 📜 Saint-Sardos, 📜 Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux
Italy: 📍 Bolgheri, 📍 Friuli Grave, 📍 Tuscany, 📜 Asolo Montello, 📜 Colli Berici, 📜 Montello Rosso, 📜 Valcalepio, 📜 Arcole, 📜 Breganze, 📜 Curtefrancaand 8 more
📜 Friuli Aquileia, 📜 Friuli Isonzo, 📜 Merlara, 📜 Piave, 📜 Suvereto, 📜 Terre dell'Alta Val d'Agri, 📜 Colli Euganei, 📜 Lison-Pramaggiore
Bulgaria: 📍 Asenovgrad, 📍 Sakar, 📜 Vratsa, 📜 Lyubimets, 📜 Plovdiv, 📜 Stambolovo, 📜 Suhindol
Hungary: 📍 Szekszárd, 📍 Eger, 📍 Villány
Spain: 📜 Pago de Otazu, 📜 Dehesa del Carrizal, 📜 Pago de Arínzano - Wines made from it
- 🍷 Pineau des Charentes
- Related to
- 🍷 Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia, 🍷 Le Volte dell'Ornellaia, 🍷 Variazioni in Rosso dell'Ornellaia, 🍷 Pàtrimo, 🍷 Merlot Le Merle, 🍷 Johanneshof Reinisch Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Reserve, 🍷 Pöckl Admiral, 🍷 Pöckl Rosso e Nero, 🍷 Pöckl Rêve de Jeunesse, 🍷 Pöckl Merlot
and 20 more
🍷 Pöckl Solo Rosso, 🍷 Le Tour de Dúzsi Rosé, 🍷 Dúzsi Ó Vörös Birtokbor, 🍷 Dúzsi Pentaton, 🍷 Dúzsi Merlot, 🍷 Dúzsi Grábóc Cuvée, 🍷 Sarget de Gruaud Larose, 🍷 Amiral de Beychevelle, 🍷 Sauska Merlot Csukma, 🍷 Sauska Cuvée 5, 🍷 Sauska Cuvée 7, 🍷 Sauska Cuvée 7 Villány, 🍷 Sauska Cuvée 7 Siklós, 🍷 Sauska Cuvée 11, 🍷 Sauska Cuvée 13, 🍷 Les Allées de Cantemerle, 🍷 Red wine, 🍷 Bordeaux blend, 🏷️ Saint-Émilion classification, 🍷 Clairet - Offspring
- 🍇 Merlot Blanc, 🍇 Carmine, 🍇 Rebo, 🍇 Terzi 1
- Parents
- 🍇 Magdeleine Noire des Charentes, 🍇 Cabernet Franc
Frequently asked questions
Where does Merlot come from?
From Bordeaux in France. According to the VIVC, its parents are Magdeleine Noire des Charentes and Cabernet Franc.
Are Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon related?
Yes: both are offspring of Cabernet Franc. According to the OIV, they are combined in the Bordeaux blend together with Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
How much Merlot is there in France?
According to the OIV, 112 thousand ha, or 13.9% of the country's vineyards (2015). It is France's most widely planted variety and the only one above 100 thousand ha.
How is Merlot different from Cabernet Sauvignon?
According to the OIV, Merlot gives round wines that soften a blend, while Cabernet Sauvignon gives very tannic, not particularly round ones. Merlot also buds and ripens earlier.
Is it true that Merlot is only for simple wines?
No. It is France's leading variety and part of Bordeaux wines; according to the OIV, its wines are round, structured and dark.
What to read next
- 🗺️ French wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grapes and appellations.
- 📜 Pauillac — A Médoc commune with three first growths: Lafite, Latour and Mouton Rothschild.
- 🍷 Pineau des Charentes — Liqueur wine from the Charentes: grape must fortified with Cognac from the same estate.
- 🍷 Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia — Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia: red wine from the Ornellaia estate in Bolgheri; vintages 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 on the site.
- 📍 South West France — The land between the Massif Central, the Pyrenees and the Atlantic; IGP Comté Tolosan across 12 departments, Cahors, Madiran and Jurançon.
Similar
🍇 Cabernet Sauvignon · 🍇 Cabernet Franc · 🍇 Petit Verdot · 🍇 Sauvignon Blanc · 🍇 Sémillon · 🍇 Malbec
Sources
- VIVC (Vitis International Variety Catalogue): passport Merlot Noir, pedigree confirmed by DNA markers
- OIV Focus 2017: Distribution of the world's grapevine varieties
- Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33, Art. 49–50 (vintage year, wine grape varieties on the label)
- Simons C.T. Left out in the cold: Serving wines chilled. Temperature, 2019
- Butzke C. Wine Storage Guidelines. Purdue Extension FS-58-W