Is Merlot wine underrated? Dive into its history, fall from grace, and the reasons it might be worth sipping again

Is it fair to say Merlot is a divisive wine? The grape enjoyed great popularity at the end of the last century, peaking in the 90s, and eventually declining with the dawn of the new millennia. What happened? Well, let’s dig deeper into Merlot, and try to find some answers.

First… well… the beginning.

Digging Into the History of Merlot

The first written record of Merlot comes from a 1784 official report noting that wines from the right bank of the Gironde River were top notch. That seems late for Old World Wine, doesn’t it?

We must go further back in time, but we also need a sense of place.

The Gironde cuts Bordeaux in half[i]. The left bank has gravel soils and colder weather, and Cabernet Sauvignon thrives there. Across the street… well, river, a warmer temperature, more rain, and clay soils are better for Merlot vines[ii]. So, yes, Merlot is native to the Bordeaux region. And even if it only appeared in an official document in the last quarter of the 18^th century, it had been around for perhaps a century before that.

Experts believe the name Merlot comes from merle, the French word for the common blackbird, alluding to the berry’s dark skin. And like a bird, this grape has flown.

Travels With Merlot

In the 1800s Merlot began to expand internationally. First to Spain, Bordeaux’s neighbor, but soon after to other European countries as well. Italy deserves a sidenote because Bordeaux blends made in Tuscany have achieved global fame. We know them today as Super Tuscans[iii].

Around the same time agronomists took Merlot vines to California, where it thrived. Its popularity as an easy-drinking wine and a versatile varietal steadily grew, but it was in the 1970s that it boomed in popularity.

Australians took Californian vines back home with them in the 1960s. Merlot was truly becoming a global phenomenon.

The Carménère Confusion in Chile

A little Chilean wine history recap. Spanish colonizers brought over the first vines to Chile, but we replaced most of them with French varietals soon after obtaining our independence. French wine experts found similar terroir in Chile than Bordeaux, so they planted resilient vines, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and, of course, Merlot.

Except not all of it was that varietal… And nobody noticed for the next hundred years. Turns out, some of the plants were, in fact, Carménère hiding in plain sight. It took another French expert[iv] in 1994 to find them. Elsewhere, I’ve written about this curious confusion and Chile’s role in the resurgence of Carménère. Getting back on track to our current topic, Chile replaced a lot of its Merlot plantations with Carménère and marketed it as the country’s flagship wine.

With time, however, it has regained its place in Chilean fields and is currently the second most planted red wine variety in the country. What I find interesting is the timing. Merlot sales were thriving globally, but Chile valiantly chose to take a different path. Did they feel the competition was too fierce, or could they foresee the future?

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

A Study on Merlot

It’s the offspring of naturally occurring cross-pollination between Cabernet Franc and a lesser-known varietal called Magdeleine Noir des Charentes (please don’t ask me how to pronounce it). Now, we’ve already talked about another descendant of Cabernet Franc, haven’t we? Hint: It’s another Bordeaux favorite. That’s right! Merlot is Cabernet Sauvignon’s half-brother!

And boy am I glad these siblings get along! They are combined, oftentimes with other members of the extended family[v], to form the wonderful and luxurious blends Bourdeaux is famous for.

In the New World we also make blends with it, but it’s more common to find them as a varietal[vi]. Merlot was particularly trendy in the 90s, but that led to overproduction and poorer quality, which led to its decline.

The Sideways Effect

In 2004 Miles Raymond, a character in the movie Sideways, had some unfavorable words for this varietal. The movie won some prestigious awards[vii], and was significantly popular, particularly among wine geeks. Miles, played wonderfully by Paul Giamatti, waxes poetic about Pinot Noir, but dislikes Merlot[viii]. His colorful speeches influenced wine consuming trends, boosting the popularity of Pinot Noir, while hindering Merlot’s[ix] popularity.

The movie is amazing, and I fully recommend it if you haven’t seen it.

But like I hinted above, it was not only the movie. Every winery wanted to jump in the bandwagon, and quality declined. Wineries were not making good wines, as long as Merlot was on the labels, they would sell. Consumers were catching up, and the movie just reinforced what they already felt: they didn’t want to drink low quality wine.

Chile abandoned the trend—to favor Carménère—just in time. Lucky, or did they really foresee the future?

What Do You Get with Merlot

This wine is a smooth ride: soft tannins, red fruit, elegant finish. It has tasty earthy undertones and balanced acidity. Merlot wines are deep ruby in color and tend to be in the medium body range.

Merlot is versatile and works well with many foods, and many people like pairing it with pasta. It also works well with chicken, pork, and game meats. Oh, and don’t sleep on burgers! Miles Raymond certainly didn’t! At the end of the movie (spoilers ahead!) he finally opens a Right Bank blend in a burger joint. They go great together. Just don’t pour your wine in a Styrofoam cup like Miles did. That’s a no-no.

By now, you know I don’t like to impose food pairings with wine. Eat and drink what you like. It’s better to pair your wine with moments. For Merlot, I think of autumn picnics and cozily watching leaves fall from the porch. I also think of elegant dinner dates and romantic music. Great Merlot is as smooth as a kiss.

The Last Drop

Honestly, I rarely buy Merlot. I like it, but I don’t go out of my way to get it. There are other reds I prefer. Also, in my opinion, it’s still produced with not great quality in the New World. There are some exceptions, of course, but more often than not the ones I try feel too fruity, too oaky, too unbalanced.

It’s a different story when I taste a Bordeaux. They win me over with how great these wines can be, and I understand why they are so popular. Lately, I’ve seen it sneaking back into restaurant’s wine lists and I hear it mentioned in a few more wine conversations. Is Merlot poised for a comeback?

Where do you stand with Merlot? Do you like it?

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Footnotes

[i] This is a vague and overly simplistic view of Bordeaux, but I don’t want to go deep on the region here so I can keep the focus on just of its varietals.

[ii] Once again, I’m over-simplifying. Both banks’ soils have limestone, and there are more (and deeper) differences. Also, both banks plant Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, it’s just that each side has a preference.

[iii] They are Merlot and/or Cabernet Sauvignon blends, but without any other Bordeaux regional restrictions. Syrah can sometimes be found in the blends, as well as some native varietals, like Sangiovese.

[iv] I’m talking about French ampelographer Jean-Michel Boursiquot.

[v] Approved varietals in Bordeaux include “the big six”: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carménère. There are others, but those are the main players.

[vi] There may be some labeling laws in play, of course. In Chile, for instance, a wine must be 75% Merlot to have that name printed on the label. I’ve written a detailed article on Chilean labeling laws. Feel free to read it here.

[vii] Including the Academy Award (Oscar) for best adapted screenplay and two Golden Globes: one for best screenplay and the other for best motion picture (musical or comedy category)

[viii] He likes Cheval Blanc, a Merlot-based Bordeaux blend, I know, I know. But that’s another story. In any case, I believe the vintage he liked (’61) is a Cabernet Franc based blend. Make of that what you will.

[ix] If you’re hungry for more, you can check this article about the Sideways Effect by NPR.

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Cover Image: Having some Merlot after work? Good! Photo by Helena Lopes.