Merlot Noir
Merlot
Noir, the black grape variety popularly associated with the great wines
of St Emillion and Pomerol, is Bordeaux’s most planted black variety.
It has become extremely popular in most other grape growing regions of the world, but no more so than in the United States. In the 1990’s, Merlot suddenly became known as the “hot new varietal” in Cabernet-soaked California. In the cooler climates of Washington State and Long Island, New York, Merlot grows quicker and yields more volume than Cabernet Sauvignon.
Originally, Merlot was used mostly as a blending grape to complement the complexity of Cabernet Sauvignon. But it’s early maturity and plumb, lush fruitiness makes it easy to appreciate as a single varietal.
Merlot produces wines perceptibly lower in color, acid and especially, tannins than the thicker-skinned Cabernets. This makes Merlot a softer, more approachable wine than its popular counterpart.
Merlot is most abundant in France, second to Italy where Merlot is the varietal used most to blend with the more tannic and sometimes harsher flavors. South America is an up and coming Merlot wine region with production only slightly less than that of Cabernet.
Australia has seen an increase in production, but tends to use Shiraz rather than Merlot to soften Cabernet Sauvignon. New Zealand and South Africa show great potential for Merlot, producing interesting “boutique” wines, but has yet to establish a distinct identity for itself in either region. As Merlot continues to offer a fine wine alternative to the unfashionably rigorous charms of Cabernet, it seems likely that Merlot will become increasingly important in countries other than France.