A Tour of Wine Grapes: Merlot

Merlot 🍷

Merlot (murr-low) originated from the Bordeaux region of France. Its name is derived from merle, the French word for blackbird, likely due to the grape's deep color.

Modern DNA profiling proves Merlot is a natural cross between Cabernet Franc and the rare, ancient Magdeleine Noire des Charentes. It was first officially recorded in Bordeaux in 1784 under the local name Merlau.

Although Merlot is grown across the world, it remains the most widely planted wine grape in all of France.

Originally considered a secondary grape, it gained massive importance on Bordeaux's Left Bank where it is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.

On the Right Bank it is the dominate grape with Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon being a more minor blending partner (5-30%).

Wines produced from the Merlot grape are medium to full-bodied red wines that tend to have lower acidity and softer tannins than Cabernet Sauvignon. Flavors include plum, black cherry, and raspberry. Oak aging imparts flavors of chocolate, vanilla.

Merlot wines typically age well for 3 to 7 years, with premium bottles aging up to 20 years when properly stored.

After decanting for 30 minutes, serve Merlot slightly chilled (around 62°F / 17°C) in a big bowl glass.

Behind the Cork™ - Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Merlot

2018 Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Merlot ($16.99)

Chateau Ste. Michelle founded a wine region, and they’re not done blazing trails yet. They honor their 55-year legacy of making world-class Washington wine, while taking bold steps to build our future with 2,600 acres of sustainably farmed estate vineyards, state-of-the-art cellar technology, and a talented, passionate winemaking team led by head winemaker Katie Nelson, with 30 years of Washington winemaking experience.

Indian Wells grapes are sourced from their namesake Indian Wells Vineyard, along with a variety of other warm-climate Washington vineyards that range from the Wahluke Slope to Cold Creek Vineyard.

This Indian Wells Merlot is a deep purple wine with enticing aromas of dark fruits and spices. On the palate, it boasts a full-bodied character with flavors of blackberry, medium tannins, balanced acidity, and vanilla notes from its oak aging. The finish is smooth and lingering, leaving a pleasant impression.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Merlot is a delightful wine that is widely available at an affordable price. This makes it an ideal choice for this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Trefethen Merlot

2016 Trefethen Family Vineyards Merlot ($36)

Pioneers in the Napa Valley, the Trefethen family are champions of estate grown wines. For three generations, they have carefully tended to their land, employees, and customers, building a loyal following for their legacy of fine, age-worthy wines with a deep integrity of place.

 Embodied in their approach is a profound respect for both people and place. This extends beyond the boundary of their estate, knitting them into the fabric of Napa Valley. Over the past 50 years, they helped establish the Napa Valley Agricultural Preserve, co-founded the Napa Valley Grapegrowers, took on leading roles within the Napa Valley Vintners and California Wine Institute, led the effort to build the viticulture and winemaking centers at Napa Valley College, supported the same at UC Davis, hosted the Napa Valley Cooking Class, and established the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley AVA. Their contributions to the wine industry go beyond the wines they make, and help inspire the Napa Valley to live up to its own great expectations.

This Trefethen Family Vineyards wine is a blend of 86% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Malbec from the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley. It is deep ruby in color with aromas of black fruit and dried fruits along with hints of its oak aging. On the palate, this medium-full bodied wine is dry (14.2% ABV) with rich flavors of black fruit, notes of red cherry and balanced acidity.

This Trefethen Merlot is an excellent wine from the premier Napa Valley. And, a great value too! This makes it a great fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Behind the Cork™ - Bluestone Vineyards Wines

Bluestone Vineyard is named after the "bluestone" (a type of limestone) that is a main component within the local soil. It is a family owned and operated vineyard and winery in the Shenandoah Valley AVA.

Curt and Jackie Hartman began planting grapes in 2003 to make wine for personal use. In 2007 they decided to make the vineyard a business. Their two sons are running the winery with Lee Hartman as Winemaker and General Manager and RC Hartman as the Operations Manager. Today, Bluestone Vineyards is producing about 5,000 cases annually. 

Each of these two red wines from Bluestone Vineyard recently tied for fourth place in the 2023 Shenandoah Valley Cup.

2021 Bluestone Vineyards Estate Merlot ($26)

This Bluestone Merlot is produced from 100% Merlot grapes that are Estate grown. It is deep garnet in color with aromas of plum, cherry, dried herbs and a hint of smokiness. On the palate, this medium-bodied wine has medium tannin and acidity with flavors of black cherry, white pepper and cedar with a soft-chocolate finish.





2021 Bridgewater Crimson Virginia Red Blend ($26)

The Bridgewater Crimson red blend is made in collaboration with nearby Bridewater College.

This Crimson red blend is a traditional Bordeaux blend of Petit Verdot (50%), Merlot (33%) and Cabernet Franc (17%). It is deep garnet in color with bright red fruit aromas. On the palate, this full-bodied wine has good complexity with rich red fruit flavor and peppery notes. It finishes with spicy notes.

The Shenandoah Valley AVA is producing a bunch of great wines and these are two fine examples from Bluestone Vineyard. These award winning wines are a great value and a great fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wines of the Week. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Media Samples Provided by Bluestone Vineyard via the Shenandoah Valley Wine Growers Association and Donna White Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Bouza Monte Vide Eu Red Blend

2019 Bouza Monte Vide Eu Red Blend ($67)

Red-blend wines are some of the best in the world.

This is a red blend from Bouza, is produced in the southern region of Montevideo in Uruguay. The name, Monte Vide Eu, loosely translates to “I see a hill” which is attributed to a sailor on expedition with Ferdinand Magellan upon seeing hills in southern Uruguay (today’s region of Montevideo).

This red blend is produced with 50% Tannat, 30% Merlot and 20% Tempranillo. The three varietals were aged separately between 9 and 16 months, depending on the plot, in French and American oak barrels.

This Bouza Monte Vide Eu red blend is deep ruby in color with aromas of cherry and plum. On the palate, this full-bodied wine has rich black fruit flavors, medium tannin and acidity, to go along with wonderful complexity and a nice lingering finish.

This is an excellent example of wines being produced in Uruguay with their signature grape, Tannat, as perfect as the Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Bodega Bouza via Creative Palate Communications