Merlot

Merlot is often partnered with Cabernet Sauvignon but equally happy on its own, as it is very versatile. As a single varietal wine, when properly ripe, it produces soft, rich, plummy wines that are easier to drink in their youth than the more structured Cabernet wines. It is a thin-skinned variety making it prone to rot but otherwise is well behaved in the vineyard, though it can be high yielding and therefore rather insipid. Chile particularly has done well, although it has been confused there with Carmenère. In Bordeaux, it shines in the warmer right bank Saint-Emilion and Pomerol wines of this region. It also appears in Tuscany in the Super-Tuscans such as Ornellaia.