Editing Merlot (section)

== Viticulture ==
[[File:Merlot leaf.JPG|left|thumb|Merlot leaf from Hedges vineyard in the [[Red Mountain AVA]]]]
Merlot grapes are identified by their loose bunches of large berries. The color has less of a blue/black hue than Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and with a thinner skin and fewer tannins per unit volume. It normally ripens up to two weeks earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. Also compared to Cabernet, Merlot grapes tend to have a higher [[Sugars in wine|sugar]] content and lower [[malic acid]].<ref name="Robinson pg 91-94"/> [[Ampelographer]] [[J.M. Boursiquot]] has noted that Merlot has seemed to inherit some of the best characteristics from its parent varieties—its fertility and easy ripening ability from Magdeleine Noire des Charentes and its [[color (wine)|color]], [[tannin (wine)|tannin]] and flavor [[phenolic (wine)|phenolic]] potential from Cabernet Franc.<ref name="Wine Grapes"/>

Merlot thrives in cold soil, particularly [[ferrous]] [[clay]]. The vine tends to [[bud (wine)|bud]] early which gives it some risk to cold frost and its thinner skin increases its susceptibility to the [[viticultural hazard]] of [[Botrytis cinerea|Botrytis bunch rot]]. If bad weather occurs during [[Annual growth cycle of grapevines#Flowering|flowering]], the Merlot vine is prone to develop [[coulure]].<ref name="Wine course pg 142-143">J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Wine Course'' Third Edition pg 142–143 Abbeville Press 2003 {{ISBN|0-7892-0883-0}}</ref> The vine can also be susceptible to [[downy mildew]] (though it has better resistance to [[powdery mildew]] than other Bordeaux varieties) and to infection by [[leafhopper]] insect varieties.<ref name="Wine Grapes"/>

[[Irrigation in viticulture|Water stress]] is important to the vine with it thriving in well-drained soil more so than at base of a slope. [[Pruning]] is a major component to the quality of the wine that is produced with some producers believing it is best to prune the vine "short" (cutting back to only a few buds). Wine consultant [[Michel Rolland]] is a major proponent of reducing the [[yields (wine)|yields]] of Merlot grapes to improve quality.<ref name="Clarke pg 129-133"/> The age of the vine is also important, with older vines contributing character to the resulting wine.<ref name="Robinson pg 91-94"/>
[[File:Merlot (2022).JPG|thumb|Merlot [[grape cluster]] ripening in [[Istria County]], [[Croatia]]]]
A characteristic of the Merlot grape is the propensity to quickly overripen once it hits its initial [[Ripeness in viticulture|ripeness]] level, sometimes in a matter of a few days. There are two schools of thought on the right time to [[Harvest (wine)|harvest]] Merlot. The wine makers of [[Château Pétrus]] favor early picking to best maintain the wine's [[Acids in wine|acidity]] and finesse as well as its potential for [[Aging of wine|aging]]. Others, such as Rolland, favor late picking and the added fruit body that comes with a little bit of over-ripeness.<ref name="Clarke pg 129-133"/>