Grape Vine
Merlot
Velvety and soft Merlot makes a great quaffing wine as well as being a major part of some of the world’s great blends.
Easy going:
Fruitiness:
Tannins:
Plumtastic:
Impress a wine snob:
What you need to know
Merlot turns up all over the place as both an easy drinking single varietal and a serious wine, mostly as part of a blend like Bordeaux.
It is known for it’s almost purple colour, plummy flavours, natural sweetness and soft tannins.
Over the years its easy nature has been exploited and you find it on the front label of brands from all over the world, unfortunately they don’t always do a great job and the result is sweet and sickly.
It is the main grape in many Bordeaux and Bordeaux style wines, adding a silky texture to the sometimes hard edged Cabernet Sauvignon – you’ll find it is predominant in wines from St Emilion.
Chile and California are both known for their Merlots, at the cheaper end they are jammy and ripe but if you pay a bit more you get a more sophisticated wine.
Top tip – Try some easy going Merlot with a gourmet burger with bacon and cheese.
Recommended
Asda Extra Special Merlot
The South of France is teeming with inspirational winemakers who extract the most out of the climate and history of the Languedoc to make great quality, great value wines. This Extra Special wine is made by Paul Mas, one of these French pioneers. It's soft and fruity and does the business at an unbeatable price!
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