Merlot wine: best bottlings and brands for 2025

Best Merlot wine bottles worth adding to your cellar

We’ve carefully curated this selection of the 10 best Merlot wines based on authentic customer reviews and top ratings from renowned wine critics. Each bottle represents the best choice within its price bracket and reflects a broad consensus of excellence, showcasing tasting notes and aromas that capture Merlot’s distinctive charm and elegance.

Merlot wine taste at a glance

The flavor profile of Merlot red wines opens with notes of red and black fruits such as cherry, ripe plum and blackberry, generally followed by sweet hints of chocolate, vanilla and caramel. Subtle layers of cinnamon and nutmeg add delicate spice, while aged Merlots reveal deeper nuances of tobacco, leather and wet earth. Merlot is perfect for those who enjoy bold yet balanced wines with a smooth, velvety texture and soft tannins.

Top Merlot wine brands worldwide

The prestige of Merlot wine often comes from the estates that make them. Let’s consider some of the world’s top Merlot wine brands, including pioneers of pure Merlot in Bordeaux and rising winemakers in the US and Italy. 

Understanding the Merlot wine prices

The Merlot wine price can vary significantly depending on several key factors. One of the most important is the vintage, meaning the year the grapes were harvested. Certain years offer ideal weather conditions resulting in exceptional wines that naturally command higher prices. The producer’s reputation also plays a big role, as bottles from prestigious estates often carry greater value. Region matters too, with Merlots from acclaimed areas typically priced higher. The winemaking process and aging can further influence cost, especially when refined techniques or long barrel aging are involved. Limited editions, complex blends and high critic scores, such as 95 points or more also tend to drive prices up. Below, you’ll find a curated list of Merlot wines across different price ranges.

3 Expensive Merlot bottles for collectors

It’s not unusual to find Merlot wines that transcend expectations and become true collector’s gems. A fascinating example is the Ornellaia Masseto 2000, one of the most expensive Merlot wines in the world, priced around $28,000. Produced in very limited quantities, it’s often referred to as the “Italian Pétrus”, a nod to the legendary Château Pétrus which is the benchmark for world class Merlot.

Curious to discover some top Merlot wines? Explore our top 3 picks worth collecting

What is Merlot wine and how is it made?

Merlot wine is a red wine made primarily from the Merlot grape, one of the most widely planted varieties in the world. 

As for production methods, Merlot generally follows the same process as other red wines, which includes:

1. Harvesting: a critical step that is determined by the grape’s own timing. Merlot grapes often ripen earlier than other grape varieties, so they must be picked at the precise moment when there is an optimal balance of sugars and acidity. 
2. Crushing and destemming are done to separate the skins from the juice and remove the stems that may impart harsh tannins and make the wine taste bitter. Merlot winemakers tend to crush it gently to avoid excessive breaking down of the skins and seeds, which may affect the wine’s smoothness. 
3. Fermentation may involve the action of native yeasts or commercial strains added by the winemaker to the grape sugars to convert them into alcohol. The temperature is typically kept lower than for some other red wines to preserve the grape’s delicate notes and nuanced aromas. 
4. Maceration occurs during and after fermentation, when the grape skins and seeds remain in contact with the juice. Maceration is crucial for the wine to extract its colors and tannic structure and it may be cut short for Merlot to avoid over extraction. 
5. Aging is where Merlot wines develop additional complexity. It can be done in oak barrels to add depth and softness as well as secondary flavors of cedar and vanilla or in stainless steel tanks, which preserves its fresh fruit character and purity. 
6. After aging, Merlot wines can undergo fining and filtration to stabilize the wine and remove solid particles. Bottling is the final step that marks the beginning of Merlot’s journey to your elegant dinner tables!  

What wines does the Merlot grape give?

The Merlot wine grape is grown worldwide also thanks to its versatility in blends. While most of the Merlot vineyards are located in Bordeaux, France (about two thirds of them!) the grape is widely cultivated in Italy (Tuscany and Friuli-Venezia Giulia), U.S. (California) and Spain.
Merlot grapes can produce different types of Merlot based wines, each one achieved by varying specific steps in the production process: 

• Merlot red wine is the traditional style of Merlot wine 100% crafted from the black skinned grape. It is smooth, often medium to full bodied and with medium tannins and an approachable style..
• Rosé Merlot wine is light, fresh and often fruity with notes of red berries and a balanced acidity that makes it a versatile food pairing option. Merlot rosé wine can range from dry to slightly sweet, depending on the amount of residual sugar present. 
• White Merlot wine is a style of blush wine made from Merlot grapes that undergo a very short period of skin contact. The wine is often pink and light bodied, with fresh and fruity flavors compared to other styles.
• Merlot blends are the most popular worldwide: Merlot is predominantly used in Bordeaux blends together with varying percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Merlot adds a smooth and supple quality to its blends, making the wine more approachable and complex. 
• Organic Merlot wine is crafted from 100% organically grown Merlot grapes grown without the use of pesticides or synthetic additives, for a more natural and eco friendly experience. It may also refer to vegan friendly Merlot or a wine produced without added sulfites or lower sulfite levels. 

If you prefer a touch of sweetness, explore Merlot wine sweet options. These wines offer a soft, fruit forward character perfect for relaxed sipping or pairing with light desserts. 

From France to the world: the global journey of Merlot red wines

Many people know Bordeaux as the heart of great French wines and Merlot is actually the most widely planted grape there. Grown in about 37 countries and covering roughly 266,000 hectares, that’s 3% of the world’s vineyards! In France, Merlot is mainly grown in:

• Saint-Émilion, known for smooth, elegant Merlot with cherry and plum notes and soft tannins. The region’s diverse terroir, including clay, sand and limestone rich soils results in a prestigious range of red wine styles.   
• Pomerol is known for producing rich and high quality red wines with Merlot as the predominant grape variety. Pomerol Merlot is characterized by a rich, velvety texture and complex aromas of dark fruits, earthy and chocolate notes.
• Fronsac is a Bordeaux appellation known for producing red wine blends made primarily from Merlot grapes. Fronsac wines are often described as age worthy; balanced expressions with hints of fresh red fruit and earth that make it more approachable.

Although Merlot originated in France, it has found remarkable expression in other parts of the world. Italian Merlot takes on a distinctive personality: elegant yet powerful, often shaped by the influence of regions like Tuscany and Friuli, where producers craft refined wines with a European sensibility. Across the Atlantic, California Merlot wine shines for its bold character, plush texture, and approachability, reflecting the warmth of its vineyards and the creativity of New World winemaking. Together, these diverse interpretations have made Merlot wines a truly global favorite.

Merlot wine vintage chart: tracking quality year by year

To assess the best Merlot wine vintage years we need to focus on the region where the grapes were grown, as vineyards all over the world have varying weather conditions. Merlot is a flexible and resilient grape that thrives in many environments, although a school of thought believes that it performs best in cool climates due to its early ripening trait. 

Although Merlot is often designed in a fresh and fruity style meant to be enjoyed young, some of its finest expressions from the best vintages display impressive depth and aging potential.

Knowledge of the Merlot wine vintage chart will guide you in choosing the best bottles. 
Below, you will find information on some of the best years for Merlot wines all around the world, as well as recommendations of best bottles.

Cabernet Sauvignon wine vs Merlot

Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are two of the most popular red grape varieties worldwide. They are often compared because they’re commonly blended in Bordeaux wines and this is why the topic of Cabernet Sauvignon wine vs Merlot is so interesting. Yet, they are very different:

• Merlot tends to be softer and rounder, with silky tannins and rich fruit flavors such as plum, cherry and mixed berries. It’s smooth, approachable and enjoyable also when young.
• Cabernet Sauvignon, on the other hand, is more structured and powerful offering firmer tannins, higher acidity and complex notes of black currant, graphite and pepper.

If you’re a fan of Merlot wine, you’ll likely enjoy exploring other reds with a similar character. Below, we’ve gathered a selection of red wines similar to Merlot in texture and ripe fruit flavors that you will surely enjoy. 

Should Merlot be chilled?

The ideal Merlot serving temperature is around 65°F (18°C): warm enough to release its aromas but cool enough to keep it balanced. Anything above the recommended serving temperature requires chilling!

If you wish to add more depth to your tasting consider taking an additional step: decanting. This wine allows the wine to fully open up its aromas and truly shine. The key is to adjust your approach based on the wine’s age. As a general rule you should:

• Decant young Merlot for 30 to 60 minutes.
• Decant aged Merlot for 1 to 2 hours.

Merlot wine food pairing guide

4 Tips for new Merlot drinkers

Merlot is an ideal wine for people who are just getting into the world of wine, with its smooth and approachable taste profile. As good as it is on its own, though, there are some tips that you can apply to elevate your drinking experience: 

They include:

• Serve it at a slightly cool temperature between 60°F and 65°F (15-18°C) to highlight its fruitiness and softness. 
• Decant young Merlot for about 30 minutes to soften tannins and  open up aromas soften the tannins. 
• Pair Merlot wine with foods like herb crusted chicken, pasta or mild cheeses that complement its signature smoothness and moderate acidity. 
• Choose bottles with clear labels and tasting notes that are easy to understand. 

How to pick the right Merlot wine glass

For Merlot wine, the best wine glass is a tall one with a large, round bowl that tapers slightly towards the rim. This Bordeaux style shape allows the wine to breathe, enhancing its fruit notes and softening its tannins. Here’s a table of the best wine glass options for Merlot for enjoying your bottle!

Serving wine is about much more than just the glass! To truly enjoy this elegant wine you’ll want a few essential Merlot wine accessories: a quality corkscrew that does not break fragile cork and a wide a based decanter to ensure the ideal serving temperature.