From California cabs to Bordeaux, merlot has a role
You probably like it more than you know
Merlot has a bad rap. According to the University of Adelaide’s wine grape census, merlot is the world’s seventh most planted grape variety. The grape plays an important role in many sought-after wines. Yet a common response when I recommend it is: “I don’t like merlot.”
Which wines am I talking about? If you are a fan of Bordeaux, then there is a good chance you are drinking your fair share of merlot. If you are lucky enough to be drinking Pomerol or Saint-Émilion, then you are drinking wines that are dominated by merlot, with cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc as minor players. You like the Super Tuscans like Ornellaia, Masseto, Guado al Tasso or Brancaia? Yup, lots of merlot there as well.
For all of you California cabernet sauvignon devotees: show me a great cab, and I’ll show you one that has a good portion of merlot.
From Opus One to Caymus and Ridge, wineries understand that merlot is often an essential component in making a great cabernet sauvignon, even if it isn’t mentioned on the label. In many countries and/or wine regions, labelling laws allow for a wine to be labelled with a single grape variety as long as it is at least 75 per cent of the blend.
But if we take cabernet sauvignon as an example, it is rare that a 100 per cent cabernet is better than one that is blended. Winemakers have told me that cabernet sauvignon, while it has power and length as well as lots of refined tannins, has a “hole” in the midpalate. One compared cabernet sauvignon to a doughnut.
The beauty of merlot is that it fills the hole with a rich and silky mid-palate, complementing cabernet’s linearity. It also brings red fruit like plums and berries, which adds complexity to the sometimes monotone cabernet fruit of cassis and blackberry.
SOME SUG GESTIONS
I have been tasting a number of excellent Bordeaux blends of late. From Bordeaux, the 2015 Château Bujan (65 per cent merlot) and 2015 Virginie Thunevin (90 per cent merlot) are great examples of merlot-driven blends around $20.
The 2014 Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet is a classic example of merlot’s helping hand in Napa.
Conversely, if you want to spend a bit, the 2014 Shafer merlot (87 per cent merlot, 13 per cent cabernet) is a very good example of why I often prefer Californian merlot to cabernet. And if you are looking for a wine that is silky smooth, yet still has some power, the organic, 100 per cent merlot Château Grinou at $18.80 is proof that it can stand alone.