A soft, plummy red grape loved for its approachability, used both on its own and as Cabernet Sauvignon's classic blending partner.
History
Merlot is first recorded in Bordeaux in the late 1700s and is a cross of Cabernet Franc with a little-known grape called Magdeleine Noire des Charentes. It is the most planted grape in Bordeaux and dominates the wines of Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, including Château Pétrus.
Its easy-drinking style made it hugely popular in the 1990s, especially in California, and it is grown widely in Italy, Chile and Eastern Europe.
Merlot in Australia
Merlot was a minor grape in Australia until the 1980s and 90s, when plantings rose quickly as winemakers sought a softer partner for Cabernet Sauvignon and drinkers embraced varietal Merlot.
It is now grown in most regions, with good examples from Margaret River, Coonawarra, the Yarra Valley, the Adelaide Hills and the Riverina, and it remains an important part of Bordeaux-style blends.
Tasting notes
Medium to full-bodied with softer, rounder tannins than Cabernet. Expect plum, black cherry and mulberry, with chocolate, fruitcake and sometimes a herbal or bay-leaf note. Cooler sites give red fruit and more savoury, earthy characters; oak adds mocha and vanilla.