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Merlot is like a hug.
Plush, plummy, welcoming, even when it's a firm bear hug. Unlike structural cabernet sauvignon, or standoffish pinot noir, or broody syrah, merlot has remained one of the most popular red wines on the globe due to its accessible softness and plump, velveteen mouthfeel, moderate tannins and ample fruitiness. The grape, borne of Bordeaux, has the genetic make up of a blue-blooded trust-fund globetrotter. Unlike its greatest rival/ marriage partner cabernet sauvignon, adaptable, blendable merlot buds and ripens early, has large, thin skinned berries resulting in lower acid and tannin, and easily achieves high yields. It rose to the top of the North American wine world in the 1980’s, achieving success with both California cult classics and Washington State pioneers. Naturally, the flood of merlot on the market that followed caused pinotphile protagonist Miles to infamously assert that “if anyone orders merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any f**king merlot!” in the 2004 wine-geek classic movie Sideways. Some say The Sideways Effect swept merlot off its velvet throne around the globe, though it remains the number one planted red grape in BC today.
When merlot isn’t smothered with oak, over cropped or uber-ripened, it produces a medium bodied red with deep raspberry, plum, mulberry, spice cake and dark mocha. Popular as ever in maritime Bordeaux, where it is also the most planted red grape, it garners acclaim in other cooler microclimates. Higher altitude, earlier-picked, less-manipulated and fresher styles are catching on as folks are rediscovering how versatile the grape can be.
It's fall; it's time for a hug. Here are some of our favourite merlots tasted at GOW over the past year.
