CorkonomicsThe economics of wine production, collection, and vineyards
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Vineyard land · Pauillac≈$2,798,250 a hectare▼ down 17% on 20232024Opening price · Château Lafite Rothschild 2025≈$376 a bottle▲ up 17% on the year beforeSold at auction · Romanée-Conti Grand Cru, DRC 2019$22,917 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Burgundy grand cru (Pinot Noir)$48–283US duty on wine from · Canada+50%since Aug 2026Everyday bottle in a US shop$13.77 a litre▼ down 1.3% in a yearSep 2026Vineyard land · Margaux≈$1,567,020 a hectare▼ down 7% on 20232024Opening price · Château Cheval Blanc 2025≈$376 a bottle▲ up 22% on the year beforeSold at auction · La Tâche Grand Cru, DRC 2018$5,417 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Champagne prestige cuvée$26–89US duty on wine from · Australia+12.5%since Jul 2026Vineyard land · Côte-Rôtie≈$1,511,055 a hectare▲ up 8% on 20232024Opening price · Château Mouton Rothschild 2025≈$336 a bottle▲ up 19% on the year beforeSold at auction · Richebourg Grand Cru, DRC 2012$3,542 a bottleSotheby's, Sep 2026Cost to make one bottle · Bordeaux classified growth (2nd–5th)$17–61US duty on wine from · New Zealand+12.5%since Jul 2026Vineyard land · Côte de Nuits grand cru≈$7,275,450 a hectare2019Opening price · Château Palmer 2025≈$268 a bottle▼ down 19% on the year beforeVineyard land · Pomerol≈$2,238,600 a hectare2023
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New to wine? Start with the short lessons, then look up any word you do not know.

Learn · Wine words · Your saved pages

Merlot

The soft, easy red. Plummy and smooth, with less grip than Cabernet.

Say it: mer-LOH · Save

A glass of Merlot with the flavours it is known for

Merlot in a minute

Tastes of
  • Plum
  • Black cherry
  • Chocolate
  • Bay leaf
Most famous in
Bordeaux, especially Pomerol and Saint-Émilion
What to try next
If you like it, try Cabernet Franc for more freshness, or Cabernet Sauvignon for more power.
Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Franc

How it feels in the glass

Body
LightFull
Tannin
SoftGrippy
Acidity
SoftZingy

Body is how heavy the wine feels. Tannin is the dry grip of strong tea. Acidity is the mouth-watering freshness of lemonade. How to taste wine

At the table

What to eat with it

Roast chicken, burgers, mushrooms.

Soft and plummy, Merlot does not need a heavy dish. It is happy with a simple roast and anything with mushrooms.

Wine with food: the simple rules

A roast chicken with mushrooms and a glass of red wine on a kitchen table
The business side

Merlot is Bordeaux's dominant variety (about 60% of red plantings) and the grape of the region's most expensive wines — Pétrus, Le Pin — as well as Bolgheri's Masseto. Cheap where it is grown for volume, extraordinary where site and scarcity meet: the range of value per bottle from the same grape is the widest of any variety.

Economics

Merlot is Bordeaux's dominant variety (about 60% of red plantings) and the grape of the region's most expensive wines — Pétrus, Le Pin — as well as Bolgheri's Masseto. Cheap where it is grown for volume, extraordinary where site and scarcity meet: the range of value per bottle from the same grape is the widest of any variety.

Key facts

World plantings
≈ 266,000 haOIV 2017
Share of Bordeaux red plantings
≈ 60%CIVB

Where it grows

Vineyards in BordeauxRegionBordeauxThe largest fine-wine region by volume and the deepest secondary market: the 1855 classified growths, the…Vineyards in Napa ValleyRegionNapa ValleyThe New World's only deep collectible market, and the wine region with the most transparent grape prices in…Vineyards in TuscanyRegionTuscanyHome of the 'super Tuscans' — Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Masseto — whose Bordeaux-variety wines from Bolgheri…

Famous wines

All famous wines →
Château Lafite Rothschild estate, Gironde, FranceCarruades de LafiteBordeauxVineyards (Premier Grand Cru Classé A) near Château Cheval Blanc, Saint-Émilion, FranceChâteau Cheval BlancBordeauxVineyard landscape in Pessac-Léognan, Graves, BordeauxChâteau Haut-BrionBordeauxChâteau Lafite Rothschild, BordeauxChâteau Lafite RothschildBordeauxChâteau Latour, Pauillac, BordeauxChâteau LatourBordeauxChâteau Lynch-BagesChâteau Lynch-BagesBordeauxChâteau Margaux in Bordeaux, FranceChâteau MargauxBordeauxChâteau Mouton RothschildChâteau Mouton RothschildBordeaux

Sources

  1. California Grape Crush Report (prices per ton by variety and district), CDFA / USDA NASS, 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  2. OIV Distribution of the world's grapevine varieties, OIV, 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
Last reviewed: September 2026Report an error on this page

Related

RegionBordeauxRegionNapa ValleyRegionTuscanyProducerChâteau Cheval BlancProducerChâteau Haut-BrionProducerChâteau Lafite RothschildProducerChâteau LatourProducerChâteau Lynch-BagesProducerChâteau Margaux