Named after a little
black bird in France, merle or merlau, it was only fitting this dark blue-colored
wine grape variety the little bird enjoyed dining on would be referred to as
“merlot.”
As early as 1824, the name merlot referred to the second most popular grape grown in the Bordeaux region
of France - following after its cousin cabernet sauvignon - a heartier and
richer grape than merlot. In Bordeaux, the Left Bank region blends cabernet
sauvignon as the dominant wine joining its cousin merlot, and at the Right Bank
merlot is the featured wine blend.
This
French grape with notes of cherries, violets, and cigar box finally arrived in
California in the mid-nineteenth century where it was shown off as a single bottled
varietal instead of being traditionally blended with its French cousin cabernet
sauvignon.
