Merlot

Frankly, Merlot is quite similar in flavor and texture to Cabernet Sauvignon and is often and is easily confused with it in blind tastings. Yes, videos abound on the internet showing people making this very celebrated “Oops!” The reality is that “classic merlot” is hard to pin down. Folklore has it that it’s identifiable by its relative roundness, plumpness, and lack of tannin compared to Cabernet Sauvignon. And that can be true, but that stereotyping is largely misleading. For example, when merlot is planted in rocky, well-drained soils in top appellations, it can be every bit as structured, tannic, and ample as Cabernet Sauvignon. The problem is that too often wine drinkers buy easy-drinking, inexpensive Merlot and it delivers the opposite. And one of the world’s most expensive wines – Petrus -- is always over 90% Merlot and yet is built like a great Cabernet and ages for decades. The take-away is be aware and be open-minded as you explore the world of Merlot! Spoiler Alert -- Merlot is one of California’s greatest wine hacks for the Cabernet Sauvignon lover on a budget. Many winemakers will put the exact same care into their Merlot as they do with their Cabernet Sauvignon but will sell it for a fraction of the price. In 2017, Napa County’s average price for Cabernet grapes translated to roughly a $75 bottle Signature Styles & Chaof wine, whereas Merlot’s average came out to a $34 bottle.

Working The Land:

Does soil influence the flavor of the final wine?

Traditionalists answer unequivocally “yes!” Soil is a key element of “terroir” -- the natural environment where vines grow -- along with climate (temperature, rainfall), topography (altitude, drainage, slope, aspect) and sunlight.

A more unorthodox view holds that the influence of soil on what you taste in the glass is a myth. Maynard Amerine and Ann Noble, two famous names at UC Davis, California’s premier wine school and wine research facility, did a study on the topic. Though the study is based on Chardonnay grapes, they concluded that the following holds true for all winegrapes: “no outstanding sensory differences were observed in wines produced from different soil type locations.” The key word is “sensory” (sight, smell, taste): They are not saying that the soil doesn’t affect vine behavior (yield, growth cycle, etc.). 

The subject is most certainly up for further debate. That said, here is a brief review of how Merlot, according to the classic view, expresses itself in the glass based on the type of soil in which it is grown.

As with many other varieties, Merlot can be a delicious wine either as a stand-alone (e.g. mono-varietal/100%) or in combination with related grapes in the Bordeaux family, notably Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. While these wines may still say Merlot on the label (if they are minimally 75% Merlot -- 85% for export), some may carry proprietary names. As an example, Joseph Phelps Insignia in 1975 was predominantly Merlot. As with all other varieties, diversity can also be magnified by the choice of clones/selections of grapes.

Officially, there are some 37 clones officially authorized at UC Davis. For the longest time, the lion’s share of Merlot planted were Clones 1, 3 (a variant on 1) and 6. The first two can be traced to Inglenook back in the 1880s, while the latter was sourced from Louis Martini at his Monte Rosso vineyard in the 1950s. Interestingly, but making a lot of sense given its pre-phylloxera clonal diversity, a number of Cabernet clones in California made their way here via South America, specifically from Argentina (Clone 8). Moreover, clones also came from Italy (clones 10, 11, 12, 13, and 21) and, as one would expect, many from Bordeaux. Merlot’s heirloom clones come from celebrated spots -- clone 18 (Sterling’s Bear Flats), clone 27 (Niebaum Coppola via Larry Hyde) and Clone 35.1 (Three Palms Vineyard, also from Larry Hyde). 

For more information on clones created in California, visit UC Davis’s Foundation Plant Services on the Merlot Grape Variety.

As managing vigor is an important issue with Merlot, to mitigate herbaceous character and balance fruit/vegetation, matching soil to rootstock selection is critical. Merlot’s medium-high vigor can quickly create a dense canopy due to lateral shoot development. High-vigor rootstocks such as Ramsey and O39-16 should be avoided. It is adapted to cool to warm climate regions. Merlot does well in deep, sandy loam or well-drained soils with good moisture-holding capacity (e.g. clays).  Finally, compared to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot has less of a blue-black hue, a higher sugar content and lower malic acid, a thinner skin, and fewer tannins. It normally ripens up to two weeks earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. 

While planted across the state, most premium Cabernet Sauvignon is planted in the North Coast and mid-Central Coast areas and as a rule is trellised in VSP (vertical shoot position) with spur (cordon) and cane pruning to balance sun exposure, minimize rot and allow for canopy management (leaf plucking, etc.). For higher vigor sites, Smart-Dyson, lyre, and GDC systems are better suited. Coupled with spacing and appropriate vine density planting (high versus low number of plants per acre), these choices can make the difference between high quality or not. 

For a deep dive into Merlot viticulture, visit the Merlot chapters of Wine Grape Varieties in California by UC Davis’ Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.