Merlot grape variety

Since the 2018 vintage, a small amount of Merlot has been vinified separately at Rampolla, named after the mother Donna Liù. The unfiltered wine was matured for 12 months in terracotta amphorae and fermented to almost 0 g/l residual sugar. Very elegant, fresh nose of sour cherry, laurel and cassis. Fresh on the palate and without the sometimes exuberant opulence of some other Tuscan Merlots, with a precise cherry fruit and salty-minty component. A finely chiselled Merlot that is hard to beat in terms of freshness, clarity and personality. It bridges the gap wonderfully between the Chianti Classico and the two flagships of the house, Sammarco and d'Alceo. Needs a few more years in the bottle. SUPERIORE.DE

Deep ruby red colour, lush notes of cherries, strawberries and sweet oak spice, vanilla and black pepper. The Sangiovese gives the blend great freshness and is in perfect balance with the silky and soft tannins of the Merlot. Overall rich, but always elegant and with great persistence. A complex, excellently structured red wine in absolute Super Tuscan quality and produced in a limited edition of just under 3,000 bottles. SUPERIORE.DE

2022 was a vintage of concentration: dry winter, hot summer – small yields, but outstanding quality. The Tiefenbrunner family demonstrates this intensity in the Linticlarus cuvée in an impressive way. The classic Bordeaux assemblage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in equal parts grows on the south-southeast-facing slopes of Entiklar, at an altitude of 260 to 300 metres. The broodingmoraine soil – loamy sand with a high lime content – stores the heat of the day and slowly releases it at night. The result: perfect phenolic ripeness with preserved freshness. Mash fermentation in concrete is followed by 12 months in barriques, 6 months in large wooden barrels and a further year of bottle ageing.

Cortona is only thirty kilometres from Montepulciano – and yet it is a different world. Here, on the high plateau with its dense Pliocene clays and iron oxide soils, around 300 metres above sea level, Merlot grows as if it had never been at home anywhere else. Federico Carletti recognised the potential early on – and In Violas was created in 2006. This was catalysed by his friendship with the Aliotti Tommasi family, owners of the same land. A Merlot that Carletti himself calls "con un'anima toscana". With a Tuscan soul. 100% Merlot, certified organic, 5,600 vines per hectare. Hand-picked, careful selection in the vineyard and in the cellar, fermentation and maceration in conical vats for 18 to 22 days, ageing in large oak barrels.

Some names carry history. Pupillo was originally the label for a Merlot vineyard planted in 2004, which did not fulfil the company's ambitions – too young, too impetuous, not ripe for the demands of Ronco del Gnemiz. Since then, the name has been dormant, reserved for vintages in which the family decided that the wines did not quite reach the standards of the legendary Rosso del Gnemiz. 2023 is one such year.

On 11 September 2001, a concert was to take place in the hills of Figline Valdarno. Sting was standing on the stage of his Tuscan villa when the news arrived from New York. He played anyway – not as entertainment, but as therapy. That evening, the feeling of emptiness and the search for meaning gave rise to an album two years later: "Sacred Love", a meditation on love as the only answer to a world in chaos. "We have to go back to that basic thing," said Sting at the time, "mother love, father love, husband love, wife love, child love – because when you don't have that, all hell breaks loose."

Sansonina (Lugana and Merlot) is a strictly limited and very ambitious project by the Zenato family, in which only the best grapes from their own vineyards are used. Only a small number of these are sold in numbered bottles each year.

The name Cont'Ugo refers to a Tuscan nobleman named Ugo della Gherardesca, whose family has been linked to the Bolgheri area for centuries. It symbolises the aristocratic character of the Maremma, which can still be felt today in combination with the wild coastal landscape. For Marchese Antinori, owner of the Guado al Tasso winery, the name is a tribute to origin and character: noble, independent and deeply rooted. The 2022 vintage of this single-varietal Merlot comes from high-altitude, well-aerated plots with loamy soils and is matured for 12 months in French oak, partly new and partly used.

Rich, dark ruby colour with a slight garnet sheen, very dense bouquet, clear, concentrated and inviting, of fine dark chocolate, lots of blackberry, flowers and liquorice. Intense dark berry fruit flavours on the palate, fine-grained tannins, subtle mineral tones. A great, smooth and very characterful Merlot from the Cortona region with a long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

At the southern foot of the Margreider Schuttkegel is a vineyard with the dialect name "Punggl", which has been known and coveted for viticulture since time immemorial. In the mid-1950s, the former owners of the Hirschprunn estate planted a vineyard there with Merlot, as it had already produced very good results in previous decades. In 1995, the grapes from this vineyard were of such first-class quality that they inspired Luis von Dellemann, the Oenologistresponsible at the time, to vinify these grapes as a single variety - since then, and only in the best years, this strictly selected grape material has formed the basis for the MCM.

More than a hundred years ago, a white bull named Desiderio lived on the Capezzine farm in Avignonesi. He was the largest bull in Tuscany at the time – and what's more, he is one of the recognised ancestors of the Chianina breed, the noble breed of cattle from which the Bistecca Fiorentina is cut. Anyone enjoying a Florentine-style T-bone steak today is likely to have a little bit of Desiderio's DNA on their plate. It was therefore a natural choice for Avignonesi to name its most powerful red wine after him. The label shows him – and changes with every vintage. The sky, lighting mood and details in the illustration tell of the climate of the year: whether hot or cool, dry or balanced. A quiet commentary on the vintage in pictorial form.

A wine that made history. When Francesco Ricasoli presented Casalferro for the first time in 1993, it marked the beginning of a new era for the venerable Castello di Brolio and cemented Ricasoli's membership in the elite of Italian oenology. Today, almost three decades later, Casalferro 2019 is a prime example of how a French grape variety matures to exceptional perfection on Tuscan terroir. Casalferro is the essence of three exceptional individual vineyards: Vigna Casalferro, Vigna Pecchierino and Vigna Sodacci. These 13 hectares of Merlot vineyards between 400 and 500 metres above sea level are the result of decades of meticulous terroir studies. Each site has its own personality: Vigna Casalferro with its sandstone and limestone soils, Vigna Pecchierino on pure Alberese limestone and Vigna Sodacci on iron-rich sandstone soils. They all share the characteristic altitude, which gives the grapes the crystalline freshness and lively acidity that characterise the DNA of the Brolio terroir.

The grapes come from the historic centrepiece of the Planeta estate in Ulmo near Sambuca di Sicilia – a vineyard that was planted back in the mid-1980s. The vines are rooted at an altitude of around 250 metres in loamy-sandy soils with a high lime content, not far from Lake Arancio. Deep ruby red in the glass with a purple rim. The nose opens powerfully and invitingly: black cherry, plum, cassis and blueberry, accompanied by cocoa, tobacco, fresh leather and a subtle herbal spice. On the palate, Sito dell'Ulmo is both full-bodied and elegant: dense, with polished tannins, fresh acidity and a long, silky finish. The integration of the wood is finely balanced and the fruit always remains in the foreground. A Sicilian Merlot with format, origin and depth. SUPERIORE.DE

Gant stands for greatness. This Merlot Riserva has been the flagship of Andrian for years. A wine that shows what this international grape variety can achieve at high altitudes in South Tyrol. While Merlot is often too lush elsewhere, here, between 250 and 300 metres above the Adige Valley, it finds its elegant side. The sites are perfectly chosen: Medium-heavy, sandy loam soil ensures good drainage and prevents the Merlot from becoming too fat. The cooler microclimate slows down the ripening process, maintains the acidity and ensures finer tannins. Exactly what this grape variety needs to develop character rather than just vigour. The vinification follows classic rules: Mash fermentation in stainless steel with gentle movement of the mash. After alcoholic fermentation, the wine is transferred to barriques for malolactic fermentation and further ageing. The wood integrates elegantly, providing structure without dominating. Time and patience are two of the secrets of Gant.

An outstanding red wine with origin and personality: "Vicorosso" combines 80% Merlot with 20% Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso - a cuvée that embodies international elegance and regional expression in equal measure. The grapes come from old, slow-growing vines on the typical Ponca soils between Prepotto and Buttrio. After selective hand-picking, the wine matured for around 15 months in French barriques before harmonising for a few months in the bottle. Dense ruby red in the glass with violet reflections. The rich bouquet of black cherry, blackberry and plum is finely underpinned by violets, liquorice, tobacco leaf and graphite. The palate combines juicy fruit, fine-grained tannins and lively acidity in great balance, supported by a hint of salty minerality on the finish. The wine has a precise, compact and stimulating effect at the same time - an (almost) modern Friulian red wine with depth. SUPERIORE.DE

A red wine with energy and contour: "Rosso del Gnemiz" combines Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon – a classic cuvée that has its very own Friulian character. The grapes come from various plots around San Giovanni al Natisone, whose Ponca soils lend depth and structure. The 2022 vintage produced ripe, healthy berries that retained their tension thanks to cool nights. Brilliant ruby red in the glass with a youthful glow. The bouquet opens with fresh black cherry, sour cherry and plum, as well as herbs, tobacco, violets and a subtle graphite note. On the palate, it shows taut, juicy fruit, concise, still youthful tannins and a lively acidity that gives it a clear contour. The barrel ageing provides additional depth, but remains discreetly in the background.

For some years now, Riccardo Cotarella's Montiano has been characterised by great freshness and dark, concentrated fruit. In contrast to the vintages of the early 1990s, the wine has become much livelier and more dynamic. And the 2021 vintage brings a new nuance to this characterful Merlot: riper, denser and finer at the same time. The climatic conditions – an early summer temperature rise followed by cooler evening hours – allowed for slow, even ripening with perfect concentration levels. As always, the Montefiascone region delivers mineral-structured fruit and precise floral components.

The grapes come from the historic centrepiece of the Planeta estate in Ulmo near Sambuca di Sicilia – a vineyard that was planted back in the mid-1980s. The vines are rooted at an altitude of around 250 metres in loamy-sandy soils with a high lime content, not far from Lake Arancio. Deep ruby red in the glass with a purple rim. The nose opens powerfully and invitingly: black cherry, plum, cassis and blueberry, accompanied by cocoa, tobacco, fresh leather and a subtle herbal spice. On the palate, Sito dell'Ulmo is both full-bodied and elegant: dense, with polished tannins, fresh acidity and a long, silky finish. The integration of the wood is finely balanced and the fruit always remains in the foreground. A Sicilian Merlot with format, origin and depth. SUPERIORE.DE

Deep ruby red colour. Bright, fresh and savoury aromas and flavours of blueberries, flint, coffee and fresh herbs. Long and clean with soft tannins and very good clarity on the bright finish. A beautiful, very refined wine, characterised by its early attractiveness, but also by its velvet-pawed concentration and complexity. SUPERIORE.DE

There are wines whose history is also told through their label. It used to say "Joanni" here; today it says "Ioanni" – a subtle shift that reveals more than just a preference for a particular spelling. "Merlot" used to be proudly displayed on the label; today, it simply reads "Rosso Toscana IGT". The reasons may lie in the intricacies of wine legislation or in the family's strategic considerations – yet the wine itself remains what it has always been: a rarity, an experiment, a statement – a top-class Merlot! The small Bandita vineyard is situated in the south-eastern part of Montalcino, where the tuff and clay soils provide this international grape variety with the fertile ground it needs. Low yields, late harvest at optimal ripeness – the prerequisites for concentration and depth. Paolo Vagaggini, who has shaped Fuligni's oenological signature for decades, vinifies this Merlot with the same meticulous care that characterises the great Brunellos. Yet here he allows himself more time: the grapes mature for three years in French Allier tonneaux, followed by a further year in the bottle, before the wine leaves the estate.