# Bordeaux Merlot (NV)

- **Producer:** Bordeaux AOC
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Merlot
- **Region:** Bordeaux, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.0%
- **Average price:** €12
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** plum, cherry, blackberry, violet, vanilla, cloves, cedar

## About this wine

Bordeaux Merlot represents the cornerstone of regional red winemaking across the Gironde department in southwestern France. As the most extensively cultivated red variety in Bordeaux, Merlot thrives in the cool, moisture-retentive clay and limestone soils found throughout the region. While famously headline-making on the Right Bank in Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, regional AOC Bordeaux Merlot bottlings capture the accessible, versatile spirit of the appellation, offering a classic French wine experience designed for everyday enjoyment.

## Interesting facts

- The name Merlot derives from 'merle', the French word for blackbird, referring to the dark blue-black color of the grapes.
- Merlot accounts for over 60 percent of all vineyard plantings in the Bordeaux wine region.

## Food pairing

The supple tannins and balanced structure of Bordeaux Merlot make it an exceptional pairing for savory, protein-rich red meats and roasted poultry. The wine's natural acidity cleanly cuts through rich dishes like duck confit and earthy mushroom pasta while harmonizing with aged cheeses.

## Wine making process

Grapes are harvested in mid-September at optimal ripeness under controlled yields. Fermentation occurs in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats to preserve fresh fruit character. Cellar masters utilize gentle maceration along with regular pumping over (remontage) to extract rich color and supple phenolics. A portion of the wine undergoes aging in stainless steel tanks to preserve primary fruit expression, while a select fraction is aged in oak barrels for six to twelve months to build complexity and structure before final blending.