It probably won’t surprise you to learn that Merlot, coming from the French word for blackbird, originates in the Bordeaux region of France. The first mention of the grape dates to the late 18th Century and it remains the most widely planted variety in Bordeaux today.
Today, Merlot is now made across the globe, although there tends to be two main styles. The international style, favoured by many New World wine regions, leans towards to emphasising late harvesting. This produces a purple coloured wine that is full-bodied, with velvety tannins and intense plum and blackberry flavours. The traditional Bordeaux style of Merlot involves harvesting earlier to maintain acidity. This produces a medium-bodied wine that has fresh, red fruit flavours, like raspberries and strawberries.
With National Merlot Day on Thursday 7th November, exclusive online wine club Winebuyers shares with us why we should be celebrating this globally renowned, fruity and flavoursome wine.
Merlot can be many things depending on the climate and winemaking, but most commonly you can expect generous amounts of dark stone fruits and supple tannins. With a lush, velvety texture alongside its distinctive plummy character and its mellow smoothness, it’s easy to see why Merlot is often the bottle of choice and loved by so many.
Ben Revell, Founder of exclusive wine club, Winebuyers tells YCB:
“Great Merlot tends to utilise the grape as part of a blend. This is how the large grape, with thin blue-black skin, has historically made its name. Throughout time, this humble grape has played an important role as blending partner to Cabernet Sauvignon, and sometimes Cabernet Franc, making it an integral part of some of the most exciting wines in the world.
“Still, Merlot is also capable of making top quality single varietal wines which pair beautifully with red meats such as roast lamb, beef wellington, or juicy steak.”
Winebuyers, who play host to 1,788 bottles of Merlot, have selected five exceptional bottles that will certainly satisfy your taste buds this November.
Wakefield Wines, Promised Land Merlot Cabernet, 2016 £13.09 Per Bottle
A soft, round and fleshy palate delivers flavours of ripe plum and red berries, along with subtle liquorice and chocolate, with a smooth and elegant finish. The Taylor family referred to their original vineyard estate as being the Promised Land due to the quality and promise of its rich fertile soils. The Promised Land ranges of wine, sourced from across Australia’s finest wine regions, are made in a style that is immediately approachable but with a hallmark of quality that is unmistakable.
Terra Tangra, Organic Winemaker’s Selection, 2016 £8.99 Per Bottle
This dry red wine is richly flavoured with aromas of red cherries, blackberries and plum. Flavours of vanilla spice are also present from an oak-ageing process which adds complexity, and the tannins are smooth and silky. This pairs beautifully with game pie, sausage and mash, smoky lentil stews or venison and chicken liver terrine. For cheese, try Brie or Camembert.
Merlot IGP Emilia,Box Wine, 2017, £42 Per Box
Plummy and rich, this Merlot has a great depth of flavour, real intensity and excellent grape typicity. This wine is not for the faint hearted. Pair yours with BBQ, charred, or roasted red meats. Suitable for vegan. Try with chargrilled mushrooms or roasted aubergines.
Knights’ Cellar Merlot Red Dry Wine 2016 £11.99 Per Bottle
Knights’ Cellar is an exceptional Merlot dry red wine, produced by CAIR Winery in Rhodes Island, from grapes grown in the all-year-around sunny vineyards of Rhodes. This Merlot has a deep ruby colour with sweet aromas of red fruits, cinnamon and vanilla.
Viu Manent – Estate Collection Reserva Merlot 2018 £10.99 Per Bottle
Ruby red in colour with abundant ripe red fruits such as plums, cherries and blackcurrants, this Merlot is medium-bodied, well balanced and juicy.
The Estate Collection Reserva range represents the purest expressions of each grape variety and are characterised by vibrant aromas and flavours. This Merlot is a blend of 98% Merlot, 2% Malbec from the Colchagua Valley.
