Merlot

If Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of grapes, then Merlot is the juicier, fruitier queen. On its own it produces light-to-medium bodied wines with low tannins, blueberry and plum flavours and a silky texture. Chile and Australia make easy-drinking, fruit forward styles. Its aforementioned Bordeaux stable mate bequeaths it with some complexity in that famous region and it is the major variety in the left-bank wines of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.