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Merlot Wines | Prices, Types & Reviews

Written By: Brian Freedman on Wednesday, July 5, 2006

Merlot has a bad reputation in the United States. Perhaps this is because, for years, before the American market began to change and wine-drinkers in the United States began experimenting with a wider variety of wines, Merlot was the most popular wine in the country, and not always made particularly well. It is not difficult to see why people loved it so much: Merlot produces a wine of soft fruit and lush mouthfeel. It is, in its American varietal incarnation, easy to drink and easy to enjoy. As a result, uninformed wine snobs began to turn their noses up at it, dismissing it as a simple and one-dimensional wine.

Those in the know, however, never doubted its potential. Merlot, after all, is one of the main grapes from which Bordeaux is blended (the other two are Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, with supporting roles played by Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Carmenere). Because it matures early and tends to be more fruit-driven than its other Bordeaux brothers, Merlot is the perfect foil for the highly tannic and occasionally aggressive Cabernet Sauvignon. In that respect, then, Merlot is highly underrated in the United States. The most important thing wine lovers can remember is that there is more than one way to make any grape variety into wine. All Merlot, therefore, is not created equal. This is one grape variety with which experimentation on the part of the connoisseur is crucial to fully appreciate its range and capabilities.

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Wines Featured In Merlot Wines | Prices, Types & Reviews

Mark West NV Pinot Noir
Region: North America > United States > California

  

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