Overshadowed by its big brother Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot is truly one of the world's great grapes and is used to make one of the world's most expensive wines; Chateau Petrus. Petrus is located in the Pomerol region of Bordeaux, France, and makes a wine which is often 99% Merlot. Softer and with better fruit than Cabernet Sauvignon, it is often blended with it to tone down the tannins in the Cab. Because of its wonderful blending qualities, it is the most widely planted grape in Bordeaux. This can be a beautifully bold mouth full of wine or more light and delicate; much of which is determined by the region where the grapes are grown and winemaking style. When well made it is a wine you won't soon forget!

Although the grape came to California during the Gold Rush, it wasn't until the 1970s that it was planted in any real quantity. It's big fruit and soft tannins made it the red wine of the day in the 1980s and 1990s. Although not as popular today, it can still be be found on the wine list of a large percentage of the tasting rooms in California and in a wide variety of styles, from a white Merlot to a full bodied, fairly tannic and bold, age-worthy wine.

Cultivation: Merlot is a grape known to bud and flower early, making it susceptible to frost damage and coulure (a poor setting of the fruit caused by adverse weather). This is a grape that ripens early, thus avoiding any chance of damage from early fall frost. Merlot is a thin skinned grape that makes rot an ever present concern in wet or humid climates. It is lower in tannin and higher in sugar than Cabernet, and can be lower in acidity in warmer climates. The grape grows well in clay soils and can survive in wet soils better than many other varietals.

Flavor Profiles: Merlot has a wide variety of flavor profiles to pick from starting with its great fruit; primarily blackberry, black cherry, plum and black currant. Although black fruit is the most common, red cherries and raspberry is often present. But good Merlot is not a fruit bomb, it is a great balance of that lovely fruit with some great earthiness, oak spice, tobacco, cedar and often a good dose of chocolate. You will often also find Merlot wines that exhibit a bit of herbs and black olive.

Good Merlots can be big, voluptuous wines with a great mouthfeel and incredible complexity. Although not an acidic wine, it has enough to make it bright and interesting on the palate. With thinner skins and therefore less tannin than Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot does not need long aging times to reach perfect balance. Most famous for its part in the great Bordeaux Blends of France, it adds roundness and fruit to Cabernet Sauvignon, and gains a nice spiciness from the Cabernet Franc.

Wine Pairing Considerations Merlot can be paired successfully with most of the same foods as Cabernet Sauvignon; big meats, lamb, pork and food with a little more fat and body. Merlots with good acidity from cooler regions pair well with pizza and pasta, and can be great with anything using mushrooms as a bridge ingredient. Try it with a good cheddar cheese or parmesan, especially if the wine is a little bit tannic.
Major California Growing Regions: Contra Costa County, Lake County, Livermore, Lodi, Mendocino County, Napa County, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Sierra Foothills, Sonoma County, Temecula