3 Things About Merlot

1. The Name… The word Merlot (merr-lo) comes from the French regional patois dialect… the word meaning young blackbird. The French word merle is also the name for a number of thrushes. It is unclear if the association comes from the black color of the grapes or because the birds love to eat merlot grapes due to their unusually sweet taste.

2. The History… We believe Merlot is an offspring of Cabernet Franc and a sibling of Carmenere, a grape that was widely planted in 18th century Bordeaux. The first recorded mention of Merlot was in 1784 by an official in Medoc, an appellation in Bordeaux. By the 19th century Merlot was a regular planting throughout Bordeaux, and had been introduced into Italy and Switzerland. Today, Merlot is the third most planted red grape in France and fifth in Italy and growing in popularity.

3. The Grape… Merlot has large berries and loose bunches of blue/black grapes. The grape has think skin, a high sugar content, low acid and tannin. For centuries Merlot's role, its "job description" was as a blending grape to soften and round out the toughness and rough edges of Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlot helps create a softer texture in the wine. As Bordeaux's second grape, it played a supporting role to the star. In a traditional Bordelaise blend, Merlot averages 25% with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc the other grapes used in the blend. Petit Verdot and Malbec can also be used. However, in the appellations of Pomerol and St. Emillion it is not unusual for Merlot to be the majority grape. The famous and expensive Château Petrus is 95% - 99% Merlot!