Merlot wine: why this underrated red is making a comeback

Merlot has spent years in the shadow of more fashionable red varieties, but the story is changing. From Pomerol to Napa, the variety has quietly been producing some of the most compelling red wines in the world. Those paying attention to Merlot wine already know what the rest of the world is catching up to. 

A single line of movie dialogue changed the fate of an entire grape variety. In 2004, Sideways, directed by Alexander Payne, had a knock-on effect that was felt across wine sales for years. The protagonist's on screen rejection of Merlot sent shockwaves. Producers from California saw a sharp drop in demand as consumers shifted toward Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon instead. It represented a blow that took more than a decade to recover from. Though the irony was not lost on wine professionals as the film's protagonist was quietly obsessed with Pomerol, a Bordeaux appellation where Merlot is king.

Merlot is one of the most food-friendly medium body reds existing; its soft tannins, dark fruit profile of plum, cherry and chocolate make it a great partner for a wide range of dishes such as roasted chicken,mushroom pasta and aged cheeses. It is an approachable starting point for new wine drinkers but also of interest for more experienced palates.

The clearest signs of Merlot's second look may be coming from the least expected corner of the wine world. Two of the appellation's most prominent estates on Bordeaux's Left Bank, mostly defined by Cabernet Sauvignon, have made deliberate moves toward the variety. Château Lafite Rothschild introduced a Merlot-dominant blend and the house's first new wine in over a century called Anseillan with the 2018 vintage. 

Axel Heinz incoming director at Château Lascombes and the man behind Masseto's rise to icon status in Bolgheri, singled out a block of 60-year-old Merlot vines to produce a 100% Merlot bottling priced above the estate's grand vin from the 2022 vintage (La Côte Lascombes). 

Moreover, the estate Château Pétrus, is the reference point for Pomerol made almost entirely from Merlot planted on a distinctive blue clay plateau ranks among the most expensive and collectible wines. Château Le Pin and Lafleur follow a similar uncompromising philosophy demonstrating that Merlot, grown in the right hands and soils, needs no apology. 

Merlot is capable of producing wines of remarkable complexity and when Left Bank estates start taking Merlot seriously, the rest of the market tends to follow.

Across the Right Bank, Château Angélus and Château Cheval Blanc which hold Premier Grand Cru Classé A status, have both built their identities around Merlot dominant blends of remarkable depth and aging potential. In Pomerol's neighbouring appellation of Saint-Émilion, Château Pavie and Château Troplong Mondot have reinforced the same argument. These are long-term investments in the cellar, built on the same clay and limestone soils that give Right Bank Merlot its characteristic texture and fruit concentration.

More than anywhere else, the Right Bank clearly demonstrates that Merlot's ceiling is as high as any variety in the world. The grapes that fill the glasses at Pétrus, Angélus and Cheval Blanc are the same variety that spent a decade being quietly passed over in favour of bolder and more fashionable alternatives. As it always has been the difference lies in provenance, intention and soil.

In California's Napa Valley, wine makers never stopped believing in what the grape could do.

In Napa's Stags Leap District, Carneros and the benchlands of Rutherford continued farming the variety with the same seriousness applied to Cabernet Sauvignon.

In Columbia Valley, Washington State Merlot’s producers such as Leonetti Cellar and L'Ecole No. 41 have long championed crafting age worthy Merlots that bore little resemblance to the soft versions the market had grown tired of. Washington's continental climate gave the variety a freshness that set it apart from its California counterparts.

Merlot has found a home also in the Colchagua and Maipo Valleys in Chile where  Andean-influenced soils, warm days and cool nights have allowed producers to craft richly fruited and well-structured wines at price points that remain highly competitive on the international market. Chilean Merlot has quietly gained  loyal buyers looking for quality without the premium attached to Bordeaux or Napa and in doing so, has introduced a new generation of drinkers to the variety on its own terms.

The current generation of sommeliers and wine aficionados is overly free from the Sideways era bias and have been approaching Merlot on its merits rather than its reputation. 

Napa County Agricultural Crop Report, released in May 2025, shows  Merlot ranking third among all varieties in total value (10,921 tons from 3,515 bearing acres) at an average of $4,752 per ton. Chardonnay fetched only $3,790 per ton on average with over 5,600 bearing acres. Statistics tell a quiet story: the conversation around Merlot has failed for years, but the market never abandoned Merlot and is still paying a premium for it.

Merlot from the Colchagua Valley in Chile offers exceptional value for everyday drinking with prices usually ranging between $15 and $30- look for bottles from Casa Silva or Montes Alpha. Mid-range bottles from Washington State (in Walla Walla), such as L'Ecole No. 41's 2021 Estate Grown Merlot, provide more structured alternatives in the $40 to $80 price range. For special occasions, a Pomerol or Saint-Émilion from a strong vintage offer the clearest argument for what Merlot is actually capable of.