Merlot Flashcards
Describe the structural characteristics of Merlot wine
medium tannin, dry, medium acidity, light to full bodied
Describe the aromas and flavours of Merlot in all climates
Red fruit and herbaceous (capsicum) when just ripe, medium to pronounced cooked black fruit (blackberry, black plum) in warmer climates.
What climes are ideal for merlot
Moderate to warm climates
What vessel types are used for Merlot wine?
Inert or oak
What are the blending options available to Merlot?
Merlot can be a single varietal wine or part of a blend with Cabernet Sauvignon. It also appears in Cape Blends with Pinotage and Cabernet Sauvignon
What does bottle aging give to Merlot wine?
Softens the tannins and produces dried fruit and tobacco notes
List the important regions of Merlot
Bordeaux, California, Napa Valley, Sonoma, Central Valley (Chile), Stellenbosch, Margaret River, Hawke’s Bay
What does Merlot bring to blends?
Red fruit flavour and reducing tannin and acidity in highly structured wines
What is the climate of Bordeaux like?
Moderate with high rainfall due to the Atlantic Ocean
What geographic feature lies in the middle of Bordeaux? What two things meet there?
The Gironde Estuary, where the Garonne and Dordogne rivers meet
Where in the Bordeaux region does Medoc, Graves and Sauturnes lie, what is this area called?
West and South, the Left Bank
Where is the Right Bank, what areas does it consist of?
North and East, Saint Emillion, Pomerol.
Bordeaux AOC and Bordeaux Superieur AOC are what dominated blends?
Merlot
Saint Emilion and Pomerol produce outstanding merlot doinated wines of what character and flavour?
Full bodied, pronounced black fruit and oak and tertiary notes of dried fruit and tabacco
Where is the fruit of Bordeaux AOC and Bordeaux Superieur AOC labelled wines sourced from
Anywhere in Bordeaux
What distinguishes Bordeaux Superieur AOC from Bordeaux AOC
Bordeaux Superieur AOC has stricter rules on yields, aging and minimum alcohol
Where is Paulliac AOC?
Haut-Medoc, Left Bank
Where is Margaux AOC
Haut Medoc, Left Bank
Where is Passac-Leognan
Graves, Left Bank
What is Merlot commonly blended with in South France? What is the quality level?
Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Syrah. All quality levels
What is California Merlot like?
Fruity and medium bodied
How is Sonoma and Napa Valley Merlot? What is the oak like? What oak formats are used?
Concentrated and full bodied. Vanilla, coconut and smoke. New oak used for high quality fruit, chips or staves for entry level
Central Valley is in Chile and has what kind of climate? What is the volume of production? what is the wine like? As you go up in altitude, what happens to the wine?
Warm and dry
High yield
Soft, medium bodied wine designed for immediate consumption
The wine becomes ‘fresher’ as in less ripe
What is teh Stellenbosch region like? Describe the wine that Merlot is used for in Stellenboch
Stellenbosch is a mountainous region with a moderate to warm climate depending on altitude and is moderated by sea breezes from the south.
Merlot is used to make complex, age worthy Bordeaux blends
Where is notable Merlot produced in Australia? What is it blended with?
Margaret River as part of Cabernet blends
Where is the largest producer of Merlot in New Zealand? What is the climate like? What is the wine like and is it blended?
Hawke’s Bay, moderate climate with plentiful rainfall.
Wine ranges from light and fruity to full bodied and long lived.
Single varietal or CS blend
