The character

Merlot ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon, has thinner skins, lower tannin, and produces wines that are rounder, plummier, and more immediately approachable. In a Bordeaux blend, Merlot adds flesh and softness to Cabernet’s spine. On its own — most famously on Bordeaux’s Right Bank — it produces some of the world’s most expensive and concentrated wines.

Where it grows best

Bordeaux’s Right Bank is the reference. Pomerol’s clay-rich soils give Merlot exceptional concentration and silken texture — Petrus, Lafleur, Le Pin, La Conseillante. Neighboring Saint-Émilion blends Merlot with Cabernet Franc on limestone and produces more aromatic, structured wines (Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus). Outside France, Tuscany’s coast (Masseto), Washington State’s Columbia Valley, and the cooler corners of Napa make serious Merlot. The grape doesn’t love heat the way Cabernet tolerates it.

How it tastes

Plum, black cherry, blackberry, sweet baking spice, and chocolate are the core. Right Bank Merlot adds violet, truffle, and an unmistakable iron-mineral note from the clay-and-iron soils of Pomerol. Tannins are softer and rounder than Cabernet’s, the acidity slightly lower, the texture more plush.

How it ages

Top Pomerol from a great vintage ages for fifty years. Most Right Bank wines hit their stride between ten and twenty-five years from vintage. The soft tannin profile means many Merlot-led wines also drink well young, with less of the chalky grip of young Cabernet. New World Merlot is generally meant to be drunk inside ten years.

What to pair with

Roast pork, duck breast, mushroom dishes, beef stew, meatloaf, pork chops. Soft sheep’s milk cheeses — Roquefort works surprisingly well with Pomerol. Some richer fish like seared tuna. Merlot’s softer tannin makes it more flexible at the table than Cabernet, especially for medium-weight mains.

In the BWM cellar

La Conseillante Pomerol is our Right Bank flagship — clay, silk, blue fruit, the works. Across the inventory you’ll find Merlot-driven wines from Saint-Émilion, blended Bordeaux, and a small selection from Napa and Washington. Browse the full Merlot selection at /varietals/merlot/.