Merlot

Merlot is the key piece for softening the structure of Cabernet Sauvignon in great Bordeaux blends. On the Right Bank—Pomerol, St. Émilion—it's the dominant grape and produces some of the world's most expensive wines (Pétrus is 100% Merlot). It's a generous grape: large berries, loose clusters, early ripening. It adapts to a variety of climates and soils, and produces wines with an approachable profile—ripe red and black fruits, silky tannins, and medium to full body. That same ease made it a victim of its own success: in the 90s it was overplanted so much that it ended up stigmatized as an 'easy' wine (thanks, Sideways). In Argentina, the Alto Valle de Río Negro has old Merlot vineyards that produce wines of great typicity and aging potential. The Valle de Uco is also producing very elegant pure varietal Merlots—more structured than those from Río Negro but with the same freshness.