Merlot - King of Wines

... Merlot was more opulent and fleshy than other well-regarded varieties, ... it also improved greatly with age.

Drinking … Merlot … It can be one of the most exciting wine experiences of a lifetime. The wine's luxuriously rich aromas and flavours give new meaning to epicurean pleasure.

Few other wines can approach such richness.

The opulence of Merlot makes it different from other great red wines. A good vintage of Merlot can overwhelm you with bold aromas and flavours of plums, violets, chocolate and olives. By comparison, other famous wines (Merlot) show more nuances of currants, earth and tobacco. On the palate, it expands, with a solid tannin structure and a thick, almost velvety mouth-feel.

"At its best, it is very opulent, and at its least interesting, it is just lacking in finesse and subtlety. But it is always an impressive mouthful …"

The generously rich character of the Merlot, …

"The Merlot-based wines develop slightly more quickly," he said. "The European palate appreciates this."

A major factor in producing great wines is ample water drainage, which forces the vines' roots to search deeper and deeper for nutrients. This also helps the grapes to become better concentrated with more flavour components.

… in production for the grand vin, since the wine from vines younger than seven years is usually not used in the final Merlot blend.