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This podcast is a refresher on Merlot (it\\u2019s been 12 years, so it\\u2019s time!). It\\u2019s one of the titans of the wine grapes, and yet it\\u2019s not often that we encounter it as a varietal wine. Because it is frequently blended, Merlot can often be forgotten or not given its due.
Photo: Merlot. Getty Images via Canva
But Merlot will not be forgotten! It is the second-most planted grape in the world, the most widely grown grape in Bordeaux, and its pedigree as part of some of the world\\u2019s most prestigious and well-known Bordeaux and Bordeaux-style wines makes it royalty in the wine world.
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But Merlot is not without challenges. When it\\u2019s not grown on the proper soils or managed meticulously, wine made of Merlot bears little resemblance to great wines of Bordeaux or other regions that are famed for blends that use it. The reputation of Merlot as a boring, flabby, dull wine is not the fault of the grape, and although it was a convenient scapegoat, it\\u2019s also not the fault of the movie \\u201cSideways.\\u201d The fact is that Merlot is not as easy to grow as people thought, and in 1980s and 1990s, opportunistic companies used high-yielding clones on bad rootstock and in bad sites to churn out high alcohol fruit bombs, lacking all the nuance that make the grape esteemed in its homeland. \\xa0
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This says nothing about the grape, but much about the people who defiled it. Although it is entirely capable of making boring, cheap wine, Merlot simultaneously makes up 95% of Ch\\xe2teau Petrus, Bordeaux\\u2019s most expensive wine and is used in fine wines all over the world for its ability to elevate a blend. In this show we pay homage to Merlot, and this time, shed some light on the recent past for Merlot and why, ultimately, it has done little to harm the grape\\u2019s reputation among winemakers and those who take the time to know the grape.
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DNA and Parentage
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History
We discuss the history of Merlot \\u2013 from its first mention in Bordeaux, to its more modern history - its rise in the 1990s and its fall in the early 2000s in California, Australia, and the global consumer market.
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Photo: Merlot. Getty Images via Canva
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In the Vineyard
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Regions: the grape is planted everywhere! This is more or less a list\\u2026
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France
Merlot is France\\u2019s most planted grape
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Bordeaux
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Other Bordeaux: all C\\xf4tes de Bordeaux (I recommend Francs and Castillon), Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur AOPs
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Southwest France: Bergerac where it is blended with Cabernets, Cahors where it is blended with Malbec
Languedoc and Loire grow Merlot
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Italy: Merlot is the third most planted red in Italy and is made in a number of styles
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Other Western/Central Europe:
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Eastern Europe:
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United States
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Washington State: Excellent Merlot with strong acidity, dark color, and lots of interesting earthy, fruity flavor. The long growing season with cool nights lends the wine great structure. This is my top pick for US Merlot!
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California
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Napa: Producers usually dedicate the best soils and sites to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot is an afterthought. Right now there is a bit of a shortage of Merlot because no one has focused on it but demand is increasing as styles have changed.
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Other California: \\xa0Monterey (bulk), Sonoma (Alexander Valley, some Sonoma Valley)
Photo: Merlot. Getty Images via Canva
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Other US:
Oregon (Rogue Valley), Virginia. Long Island (great stuff! Merlot is their best grape), Texas
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Mexico, Canada (most prominent in BC for Bordeaux style blends)
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Southern Hemisphere
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Chile: \\xa0Producers mistook Carm\\xe9n\\xe8re for Merlot in the 1990s but they\\u2019ve slowly gotten back to real Merlot. Top areas: Colchagua (Apalta sub AVA), Maule, Curic\\xf3. I mention the famed wine writer
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Argentina: Merlot is made in a ripe style, often blended in with other grapes
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Australia: The grape is often used for blending with Cabernet, but had similar issues to California when demand rose in the 1990s \\u2013 Merlot was overplanted in warm bulk areas like Murray Darling, Riverina, Riverland. \\xa0Today, quality Margaret River and Western Australia.
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New Zealand: Merlot is the second most planted after Pinot Noir. It does especially well in blends coming out of Hawke\\u2019s Bay. Merlot also does well in Auckland, Marlborough, and Martinborough
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South Africa: Cooler sites in Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek
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Other places: Israel, Lebanon, India, Japan, China
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Suggested food pairings
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We end with a warning about serving temperature: NEVER SERVE MERLOT TOO WARM!! 60\\u02da\\u201365\\xb0F
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