🍇 Merlot
One of the world's most widely grown red grapes, native to Bordeaux; it makes soft wines.
Merlot is one of the most widely grown red grape varieties in the world. It comes from Bordeaux, from right-bank areas such as Pomerol and Saint-Émilion. The name, by one account, comes from the French word for blackbird, which loves these berries. It is an offspring of Cabernet Franc and a variety called Magdeleine Noire des Charentes.
The variety ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon and grows well on clay soils. Wines are soft and round, with aromas of plum, cherry and chocolate, and moderate tannins. So Merlot is loved both on its own and in blends. In Bordeaux it is the base of many red wines. It is also grown in Tuscany (Bolgheri), Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Spain and other countries.
Merlot is part of dozens of appellations: Pomerol, Pauillac, Fronsac, Haut-Médoc, Lalande-de-Pomerol, Listrac-Médoc, Sexard, Valcalepio, Pago de Otazu and others. Related varieties include Merlot Blanc, Carmin, Rebo and Terci 1.
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, 📍 Taraclia, 📍 Cahul, 📍 Ștefan Vodă, 📜 Purcari, 📜 Căușeni
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, 📍 Mediterranean
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
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, 📜 Bordeaux Supérieur, 📜 Fronsac, 📜 Lalande-de-Pomerol, 📜 Listrac-Médoc, 📜 Bourg / Côtes de Bourg and 31 more
Italy: 📍 Bolgheri, 📍 Friuli Grave, 📍 Tuscany, 📜 Asolo Montello, 📜 Colli Berici, 📜 Montello Rosso, 📜 Valcalepio, 📜 Arcole, 📜 Breganze, 📜 Curtefranca, 📜 Friuli Aquileia, 📜 Friuli Isonzo, 📜 Merlara, 📜 Piave, 📜 Suvereto and 3 more
Bulgaria: 📍 Asenovgrad, 📍 Sakar, 📜 Vratsa, 📜 Lyubimets, 📜 Plovdiv, 📜 Stambolovo, 📜 Suhindol
Spain: 📍 Navarre, 📜 Pago de Otazu, 📜 Dehesa del Carrizal, 📜 Pago de Arínzano
Hungary: 📍 Szekszárd, 📍 Eger, 📍 Villány
Romania: 📍 Dealu Mare, 📍 Murfatlar
Greece: 📍 Drama
Slovenia: 📍 Goriška Brda - Related to
- 🍷 Red wine, 🍷 Bordeaux blend, 🏷️ Saint-Émilion classification
- Offspring
- 🍇 Merlot Blanc, 🍇 Carmine, 🍇 Rebo, 🍇 Terzi 1
- Parents
- 🍇 Magdeleine Noire des Charentes, 🍇 Cabernet Franc
Frequently asked questions
What is Merlot?
A red grape from Bordeaux that gives soft, round wines.
Where else is Merlot grown?
In Italy (Tuscany), Bulgaria, Romania, Spain and many other countries.
Which grapes is Merlot descended from?
Cabernet Franc and Magdeleine Noire des Charentes.
Similar
🍇 Cabernet Sauvignon · 🍇 Cabernet Franc · 🍇 Sémillon · 🍇 Sauvignon Blanc · 🍇 Malbec · 🍇 Petit Verdot