Merlot is a red grape from Bordeaux that has been grown in Italy for more than 150 years and is now among the country's most planted international varieties. It makes soft, plummy reds on its own and adds roundness to blends, from the Super Tuscans of Tuscany to the everyday reds of Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto.
Merlot arrived in northeastern Italy in the second half of the nineteenth century, and became widespread when the vineyards were replanted after phylloxera. For a long time it was a workhorse grape, used for simple, fruity reds. The picture changed from the 1980s, when Tuscan producers showed that Merlot on the right soils could make some of Italy's most sought-after wines.
Tuscany is the heart of premium Italian Merlot. On the coast around Bolgheri and in the Maremma, clay-rich soils and Mediterranean warmth give dense, velvety wines. Inland, Merlot is planted in the Chianti hills and in the Valdarno, where it is used both for single-variety wines and as a blending partner for Sangiovese.
In Friuli Venezia Giulia, Merlot is the most planted red grape. In the hills of the Collio and the Colli Orientali it makes medium-bodied, fresh reds with herbal notes; on the flatter Grave and Isonzo plains it is lighter and fruitier. Veneto grows large quantities for everyday wines, while Alto Adige, Trentino, Umbria and Sicily all have smaller but interesting plantings.
Merlot ripens early and likes cool, water-retentive clay soils. In very hot sites it can lose freshness quickly, so Italy's best examples come from hillsides, coastal breezes or clay that keeps the vines from stress.
Much of Italy's finest Merlot is labelled Toscana IGT, the category that let Tuscan producers break with traditional rules. Several celebrated single-variety Merlots carry this label, as do many Super Tuscan blends.
Bolgheri DOC allows Merlot alone or blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and it is a key component of many of the area's top reds.
Chianti Classico DOCG is based on Sangiovese, but the rules allow up to 20% of other red grapes, and Merlot is one of the most common choices for softening the blend.
In the northeast, look for Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC, Alto Adige/Südtirol DOC, and the IGTs Venezia Giulia IGT, Veneto IGT and Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT. In Sicily, Merlot appears under Terre Siciliane IGT.
Merlot's appeal is its texture: the tannins are softer and rounder than those of Cabernet Sauvignon, and the fruit is generous.
Coastal Tuscan Merlot is the most opulent style, with dark fruit, chocolate and a long, velvety finish. Friulian Merlot is lighter, more savoury and easier to drink young. The great Tuscan Merlots can age for 15 years or more, while everyday northeastern versions are best within three to five years.
For an easy introduction, choose a Merlot from Friuli or Veneto: affordable, fruity and ready to drink. To understand why Italian Merlot became famous, look to Tuscany, and especially to Bolgheri reds and Toscana IGT wines that blend Merlot with Cabernet. Our guide to the best Super Tuscan wines explains the style and its leading estates.
Names that show Merlot at its best include Ornellaia and Guado al Tasso in Bolgheri, Frescobaldi and Castello di Ama in Tuscany, and Tenuta San Leonardo in Trentino, where Merlot is part of a Bordeaux-style blend.
When reading labels, remember that many Italian wines containing Merlot don't name the grape: a Bolgheri Rosso, a Chianti Classico or a Super Tuscan may include it in the blend. Merlot often partners Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and is blended with Sangiovese in Tuscany. Browse more varieties in the grape varieties index.