Wine · Grape variety guide
Grape Variety Guide · WSET Level 2
Merlot
Bordeaux's softer right-bank partner — plush, plummy, and approachable.
Earlier ripening
Medium-high tannin
Plum & black cherry
Where it grows
- Bordeaux, France — dominant on the Right Bank — Saint-Émilion and Pomerol
- California, USA — widely planted, both varietally and in Bordeaux-style blends
- Chile — Central Valley, reliable ripening
- Italy — used in Bordeaux-style blends alongside native grapes
- Washington State, USA — Columbia Valley
What it tastes like
- Plum and black cherry fruit, with chocolate or mocha notes where oak is used
- Medium-high tannin — noticeably softer than Cabernet Sauvignon
- Medium-high acidity, full body
- Generally more approachable young than Cabernet Sauvignon
Growing notes
- Buds and ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon
- Thinner-skinned, so more prone to rot in damp conditions
- A reliable ripener in cooler sites, and often blended in to soften firmer Cabernet Sauvignon
Good to know
Merlot shares a parent, Cabernet Franc, with Cabernet Sauvignon — making the two half-siblings. On Bordeaux's Right Bank, Merlot is the dominant blending grape, the mirror image of Cabernet Sauvignon's dominance on the Left Bank.
Exam tip
Expect a direct Merlot-versus-Cabernet-Sauvignon contrast (softer tannin, plummier fruit, earlier ripening), plus the Left Bank/Right Bank blend-dominance question.
Part of the Grape Guide — browse all varieties, or jump back to the study sheet.
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