Merlot

Merlot is one of the world's most widely planted red wine grapes and the soft, plush heart of Bordeaux's Right Bank, where in Pomerol and Saint-Emilion it makes some of the most coveted reds on earth. An early-ripening, thin-skinned variety, it yields medium-to-full-bodied wines that are rounder, fruitier and suppler than Cabernet Sauvignon — plum, black cherry and blackberry over chocolate, with medium-high but velvety tannin and medium acidity. Both the great partner that softens a Bordeaux blend and an approachable, fruit-forward varietal in its own right, it is the easy-drinking red that can also age into profound, silky complexity.