Merlot
Yes, merlot is red wine: it's a blue grape, and blue grapes make red wine. It's softer than cabernet sauvignon because the grape is quite large and the skin is thin, which means less pigment and tannin.
Red wine by grape and region
Four pages that take a closer look at red wine: the category itself and three regions where a different grape takes the lead.
Red wine
Where red wine gets its color and tannins, and which grape suits you best.
About red wine →
Valpolicella
The region in Veneto where corvina, rondinella, and molinara come together in the blend.
About Valpolicella →A blue grape with thin skin
Merlot is a black grape, and black grapes make red wines. Each grape gives a wine its own flavor, and Merlot makes for a smooth, rounded style: soft, fruity wines with a gentle structure. That softness isn’t accidental. Merlot is a fairly large grape with a relatively thin skin, and compared with, for example, Cabernet Sauvignon, its skin contains less color and fewer tannins. Less skin per grape means fewer of the compounds that make a wine dark and astringent. Merlot also ripens early and is the first of all black grapes to be harvested.
Merlot originates in Bordeaux, where it is almost always mentioned in the same breath as its big brother, Cabernet Sauvignon. The grape plays a key role in blends, especially on the Right Bank, in Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, where it lends round softness and fruitiness, with notes of plum, truffle, and cedar. The two grapes complement each other: Cabernet Sauvignon has more tannins and gives a blend structure, power, and a longer finish, while Merlot gives rugged Cabernet a softer touch and finesse. Outside France, Merlot takes on a distinctive style in each country. In Tuscany and Friuli, it’s fresher and spicier; in Chile, soft and fruity, with plenty of red fruit; and in California, rich and full-bodied, with ripe black cherry, chocolate, and vanilla.
In brief
From Bordeaux to Italy and Chile
The same grape, four countries, and six distinctly different bottles. Two from France, including a blend with Cabernet Sauvignon, one Italian that’s fresher, and three Chilean wines that get progressively fuller-bodied.
Jean-Pierre Moueix Saint-Émilion
Classic Right Bank Bordeaux, dominated by Merlot with Cabernet Franc, from the most famous appellation on that bank. Rich and soft, with plums, berries, and cedar.
Arrogant Frog Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
The blend that Bordeaux is all about, from the Languedoc: Cabernet Sauvignon for structure, Merlot for a softer touch. Rounded on the palate, with blackcurrants and plums.
Ca'Bolani Merlot Friuli Aquileia
A Merlot from DOC Friuli Aquileia, in exactly the fresher, spicier style Italy is known for. Lighter and fruitier than you might expect, with strawberries, raspberries, spices, and soft tannins.
Valdivieso Merlot
A pure Merlot where fruit is deliberately the star: plum, strawberry, and berries, with spices, coffee, chocolate, and a touch of smokiness. An approachable choice from the selection.
La Palma Merlot
Smooth and approachable, with plum, blackberry, vanilla, and licorice. Underneath are black cherries and a pleasant, soft taste with distinct notes of oak.
La Palma Reserva Merlot
Here, the term Reserva refers to aging in oak, and you can taste it: ripe, concentrated, and oak-aged. Note that this isn’t a pure Merlot, as it also contains Syrah.
Cabernet Sauvignon has a thicker skin, more tannin, and aromas of blackcurrant and cedar. In a blend, it adds body and a longer finish.
Cherry, plum, and blackberry, with a velvety finish
Red and dark fruit
Soft red and dark fruit such as cherry, plum, and blackberry, often with a hint of chocolate, bay leaf, or vanilla. Older Merlots also develop earthy truffle notes.
Supple and rounded
Supple tannins and medium acidity make Merlot medium-bodied: it falls between light and full, rounded and not too powerful. Usually dry, but the red fruit makes it taste milder than truly crisp, dry wines.
Warm and velvety
A warm, velvety finish, with a hint of smokiness or chocolate in some bottles. Merlot from a cool climate, by contrast, tastes fresh and vibrant.
An average across the whole selection. An Italian Merlot from Friuli is fresher and lighter, while a Californian or oak-aged bottle is fuller.
How to serve Merlot
Merlot doesn’t need much: a little cooler than room temperature, 15 minutes to breathe, and a large glass. Decanting is rarely necessary.
Chill to 14 to 18 degrees
You can serve a young, fruity Merlot a little cooler, around 14 to 16 degrees, as this brings out the fresh fruit flavors. Fuller Merlots are better served at room or cellar temperature, around 18 degrees. Store them in a dark place, lying on their side, at a constant temperature of about 12 degrees.
More about red wine →Let it breathe instead of decanting
If you have a young Merlot, open the bottle 15 to 30 minutes before drinking. Often, even that isn’t necessary, since pouring it into a glass already exposes it to enough oxygen. Decanting literally means pouring the wine into another container and gives it more oxygen; this is mainly for young, robust red wines, half an hour to three hours beforehand.
To the decanters →Pour to just below the widest part
Pour red wine to just below the widest part of the glass, so you can swirl it without spilling. As a rule of thumb, you get six glasses from a bottle, about 12.5 cl per glass. Hold the glass by the stem, because wrapping your hand around the bowl warms the wine.
The right glass →Cocktails with merlot
Merlot is a wine for meals and casual drinks, not a cocktail base: cocktails made specifically with merlot don’t exist. However, the first two below are made with red wine; the other two are sparkling wine cocktails.
Sangria
Red wine with pieces of fruit and plenty of ice, made to serve in a pitcher at the table.
Tinto de Verano
A summer red wine: topped up with sparkling lemonade and served over ice.
Kir Royal
Crème de cassis at the bottom of the glass, topped up gently with a dry sparkling wine.
Aperol Spritz
Aperol, prosecco and sparkling water in a large glass with ice, garnished with a slice of orange.The right glass for merlot
Red wine often benefits from a little extra oxygen, so the glass is larger and wider than one for white or rosé. The bowl should be wide enough to swirl the wine. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything else you wanted to know about merlot
Can’t find your question here? Browse our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
To the cocktail recipes →Is merlot red wine?
Why is Merlot softer than Cabernet Sauvignon?
Is Merlot sweet or dry?
Is Merlot a full-bodied wine?
Why is Merlot so often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon?
What temperature should you serve Merlot at?
Which glass is right for Merlot?
Buy Merlot
Want the bottle delivered straight to your door? Order Merlot online from Gall & Gall. Gall & Gall has 27 in stock.
Chapelle du Bois Merlot
La Palma Merlot
Valdivieso Merlot
Eco Merlot Organic
Prices as of November 5, 2026, as provided by Gall & Gall. You can see the current price and availability at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy anything through these links; it won’t cost you anything extra. No 18, no alcohol.
