Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are the two most planted red grapes in the world, they come from the same corner of France, and they are half-siblings. They also make noticeably different wines. Here is what separates them, what each one tastes like, and how to pick between them for a given dinner.
The short version
Cabernet Sauvignon is the firmer, more tannic, more structured of the two: darker fruit, more grip, longer aging potential, and a natural match for steak and other rich, fatty food. Merlot is softer and rounder: plummier fruit, gentler tannin, ready to drink younger, and easier to pair across a wider range of dishes. Neither is better. They are different tools.
Where they come from
Both grapes are native to Bordeaux in southwestern France, and both descend from Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Sauvignon is a natural cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc that appeared in the 1600s; Merlot is a cross of Cabernet Franc and a little-known grape called Magdeleine Noire des Charentes. That shared parent is why the two can taste related even when they behave differently.
In Bordeaux the Gironde estuary divides the region. The gravel soils of the Left Bank (Médoc, Pauillac, Margaux) suit Cabernet Sauvignon, so Left Bank wines are Cabernet-led blends. The clay and limestone of the Right Bank (Saint-Émilion, Pomerol) suit Merlot, so Right Bank wines are Merlot-led. Almost all red Bordeaux is a blend of the two with some Cabernet Franc, which is why a bottle from each bank is a good way to taste the difference.
Merlot
The name comes from an old Bordeaux word for a small blackbird, either for the color of the grape or for the birds’ taste for it. Merlot ripens earlier than Cabernet, has thinner skins and produces wine with less tannin, which is why it is approachable young and why it is used to soften Cabernet in blends.
Typical flavors are plum, black cherry, cocoa and dried herbs, with vanilla and clove when it has been aged in oak. It is a dry wine; the fruit can read as sweet, but there is no sugar in it. Alcohol tends to run 13 to 14% in cooler regions like Bordeaux and 14 to 15% in warmer ones like California and Australia.
Because Merlot was so popular in the 1990s, a lot of thin, over-cropped versions reached the market, and the grape’s reputation suffered for it. Good Merlot from Pomerol, Saint-Émilion, Washington State, Napa and Sonoma is a different thing from the bulk-market bottles.
Pairings: roast chicken, pork, burgers, mushroom dishes, pasta with red sauce, medium cheeses. It is the more flexible of the two at the table.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet has small, thick-skinned berries, which means more tannin and more color per grape. Young Cabernet can feel drying and astringent; that structure is also what lets the best examples age for decades. Decanting a young Cabernet for 30 to 60 minutes softens it noticeably.
Typical flavors are blackcurrant, blackberry, cedar, graphite and, in Bordeaux, a green note of bell pepper or mint. Napa Cabernet tends to be riper and fuller, with more oak and darker fruit; Bordeaux Cabernet tends to be leaner, with more acidity and earth. Alcohol usually sits at 13.5 to 15% depending on climate.
California Cabernet’s reputation dates to the 1976 Judgment of Paris, a blind tasting in which French judges ranked a Napa Cabernet (the 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars) above several top Bordeaux. Napa has been the grape’s second home ever since, and Cabernet Sauvignon is now the most widely planted wine grape in the world.
Pairings: steak, lamb, braised short ribs, hard aged cheeses. The tannin binds to fat and protein, which is why the two cut each other so well.
Side by side
| Merlot | Cabernet Sauvignon | |
|---|---|---|
| Parentage | Cabernet Franc × Magdeleine Noire | Cabernet Franc × Sauvignon Blanc |
| Bordeaux home | Right Bank (Pomerol, Saint-Émilion) | Left Bank (Médoc, Pauillac) |
| Tannin | Medium, soft | High, firm |
| Body | Medium to full | Full |
| Fruit | Plum, black cherry | Blackcurrant, blackberry |
| Other notes | Cocoa, herbs, vanilla | Cedar, graphite, bell pepper |
| Ready to drink | Young | Benefits from a few years |
| Best with | Chicken, pork, pasta, mushrooms | Steak, lamb, aged cheese |
Which one to buy
Steak or lamb on the table, or a bottle to put away: Cabernet Sauvignon. A weeknight dinner, a mixed table, or a wine that works without food: Merlot. If you cannot decide, a red Bordeaux gives you both in one glass, and the label will tell you which bank it comes from. For more on how alcohol content varies across wines, see How Much Alcohol Is in Wine.
Saucey carries Merlot and Cabernet from Bordeaux, Napa, Washington and elsewhere, and delivers in as fast as 25 mins in the cities we serve. Browse red wine on Saucey.
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