Red grape variety

Merlot

Also called Merlau, Bordò

Merlot is a red grape from Bordeaux, France, known for soft, plummy wines with medium tannin. It dominates Pomerol and Saint-Émilion and is Ticino's main grape. In 2015 it covered about 266,000 hectares worldwide, and France alone had 112,000 hectares in 2017.

Color	Red (black-skinned)
Origin	Bordeaux, France (a cross of Cabernet Franc and Magdeleine Noire des Charentes)
Body	Medium to full
Acidity	Medium
Tannin	Medium
Typical aromas	plum, black cherry, blackberry, strawberry, cedar, tobacco, chocolate, fruitcake
Key regions	Bordeaux (France), Ticino (Switzerland), Tuscany (Italy), Napa Valley (United States), Washington (United States), Friuli-Venezia Giulia (Italy)

Origin and history

Merlot is a child of Cabernet Franc and an obscure variety, Magdeleine Noire des Charentes, identified by DNA analysis in the late 2000s from vines found in Saint-Suliac, Brittany. This makes it a half-sibling of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and Malbec. The earliest record, as Merlau, dates from 1784 in the notes of a Bordeaux official, and the spelling Merlot appeared in an 1824 article on the Médoc. The name is usually linked to merle, the French word for blackbird, a reference to the dark berries. Merlot reached Italy near Venice by 1855 and the Swiss canton of Ticino in the early 1900s. In 2004 the film Sideways, whose hero disdains Merlot, was followed by a measurable fall in its US sales.

Where it grows

Merlot covered about 266,000 hectares worldwide in 2015, and France had 112,000 hectares in 2017. Its heartland is Bordeaux's Right Bank, where cool, iron-rich clay suits it: Pomerol, home of Pétrus, and Saint-Émilion, where estates such as Château Figeac, Château Pavie and La Mondotte rely on it, as do Fronsac producers. It is also part of nearly every Médoc blend. In Switzerland, Merlot del Ticino is the canton's signature wine. Italy makes Masseto in Bolgheri, and plantings extend to Goriška Brda, Villány, Dealu Mare, Napa Valley, Walla Walla Valley and Canelones. California had about 39,000 acres in 2020.

Taste, wine styles and food

Merlot has thinner skins than Cabernet Sauvignon, so its wines have medium tannin and lower acidity, and it ripens about two weeks earlier. Climate shapes the flavour: cool sites give strawberry, red berries, plum, cedar and tobacco, moderate ones blackberry, black plum and black cherry, and hot regions fruitcake and chocolate. Styles range from soft, fruity wines with few tannins, through fruity wines with tannic structure, to powerful, Cabernet-like examples. In Bordeaux it gives flesh to Cabernet Sauvignon blends. The grape tends to overripen quickly and is prone to botrytis and coulure. Soft, fruity Merlot pairs with salmon, mushroom dishes and greens, while structured versions suit grilled meats. See the red wine guide for more on styles.

Test yourself: the Merlot quiz

Wines made with Merlot (110)

WineGuessr lists 110 wines made with Merlot, from 14 countries. Most come from France (84).

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Merlot: questions and answers

What does Merlot taste like?

Merlot tastes of plum, black cherry and blackberry, with cedar and tobacco in cooler sites and chocolate or fruitcake in hot ones. It has softer tannins and lower acidity than Cabernet Sauvignon.

Is Pétrus made from Merlot?

Yes. Pétrus, in Pomerol, is made almost entirely from Merlot, which dominates the clay soils of Bordeaux's Right Bank.

What is the difference between Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon?

Merlot has thinner skins, ripens about two weeks earlier and gives softer, rounder wines with less tannin and acidity. Both are Bordeaux grapes and half-siblings through their shared parent, Cabernet Franc.

Where does the name Merlot come from?

The name Merlot is usually traced to merle, the French word for blackbird, a reference to the grape's dark colour. It was first recorded as Merlau in Bordeaux in 1784.

What food goes with Merlot?

Soft, fruity Merlot goes with salmon, mushroom dishes and leafy greens, while fuller, Cabernet-like Merlot suits grilled meats.

Other red grapes

All grape varieties →

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Last reviewed October 2026.