Cabernet Merlot Blend

Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the two main reds in France’s Bordeaux, where thick-skinned Cabernet provides tannins and deep colour while plump, fruity Merlot brings mouth-filling roundness. These days both Cab and Merlot are grown almost everywhere - notably the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain and even Italy, where Bordeaux-influenced ’Super Tuscans’ can be as expensive as legendary French ones. Non-French examples may be casually described as Bordeaux blends but, except from America’s ‘Meritage’, are usually labelled by varietal mix, which may also include minor Bordeaux grapes such as Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Carménère.