Merlot

Dark red colour with a typical varietal bouquet, slightly peppery and grassy notes. A strong, fleshy red wine with beautiful flavour and balanced finesse. SUPERIORE.DE

"Dark cherries, peppercorns and some baked plums and leaves on the nose. Lots of fruit with a saline quality to the damsons on the palate. Medium body with lightly chewy tannins." James Suckling

Sparkling ruby violet, smells exciting, lots of rich fruit, plus fine spices. Plump on the palate, of cassis and dark cherries, underpinned with fine tannin, very clear and straightforward. SUPERIORE.DE

Dark garnet-red Merlot from the hillside vineyards in Auer, Neumarkt and Montan. Its bouquet is reminiscent of grasses and wild wine. Firm and full-bodied with flavours of dark cherries and blackcurrants. SUPERIORE.DE

Bisci not only produces excellent Verdicchio, but also very appealing Rosso, which is now made from 100% Merlot. With the best value wine in the Marche winery's range, it has achieved a great success: Fascinating aromas of red berries, precious wood and herbs, with a subtle, smoky component in the background. Precise and taut on the palate, with a wonderful primary fruity core, framed by liquorice and a dried bouquet of Mediterranean herbs. A warm red for the unusual days of the week. SUPERIORE.DE

"An enticing blend of wild blueberries, sage, lavender and white smoke makes the 2020 Merlot impossible to ignore. This is soft-textured and round with brisk acidity that enlivens its tart wild berry fruits. Chalky minerals form toward the finish. It fades with youthful tension and lightly tannic, leaving tart blackberry hints to fade." Vinous

"This is an unoaked 100% Merlot from one of the leading producers of Verdicchio in Le Marche. Vinified in stainless steel and matured in cement, it is fragrant in character with Parma violet-infused black berries, some stalky, balsamic notes and peppery spice. Sweet, ripe fruit is supported by an elegantly weighted and velvety palate, with grippy tannins, fresh acidity and a black berry and blackcurrant leaf finish." Decanter

Dark, clear cherry red. Discreet nose of red berries with a spicy component. Medium-bodied on the palate with a nice structure, spicy-juicy taste with good length. SUPERIORE.DE

Dark colour, sweet fruit notes and delicate herbal spice. On the palate powerful, complex, with wild berry flavours and fine present tannins. Black berries and some caramel in the finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Boscarelli's Merlot smells very complex and pleasant of ripe blueberries and plums, a little smoky and of roasted nuts. Firm and powerful on the palate, ripe, juicy, tart fruit and youthful but polished tannin. Wonderfully persistent, long, spicy and soft. SUPERIORE.DE

The Latin Merus stands for pure or genuine. All Merus wines have this claim, with varietal character and natural elegance dominating. The grapes come from vineyards in the lowlands and are pressed in steel and concrete barrels. The result is wines that are open, fresh and accessible at an early stage.

Garnet red with violet reflections. Complex bouquet of dried fruit, cherries and liquorice. Round and smooth on the palate with a pleasant acidity. Powerful and persistent on the finish. This extremely elegant red wine has good ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Mario Schiopetto was born in 1930, he grew up in the family-owned Osteria ai Pompieri and had his first professional experiences as a fireman and later as a truck driver. In 1963, guided only by his taste and love of wine, he began to devote himself to wine production in his parents' farm and produced the first pure Tocai in 1965. The historic label at the time included the drawing of his fire engine, which he also used to deliver the wine to customers. With the 2019 vintage, the winery recalled these historical roots and resumed the cute drawing on part of its wine labels.

Garnet-purple coloured Merlot with a warm scent of crisp plums and ripe blackberries, plus earthy nuances and a hint of clove. Slender but full-bodied on the palate, all components wonderfully harmonised. SUPERIORE.DE

The "Collection" line is made from late-harvested grapes from selected, sun-drenched vineyards and stands for complex, straightforward wines that emphasise the terroir. The Comrades' vineyards are located in Siebeneich and Bolzano at 300 metres above sea level and offer ideal conditions for this wonderful Merlot to thrive. Dark ruby to garnet red in colour. Exuberant aromas of blackberry and wild berries, complemented by a refined spice component. On the palate, it is elegant, delicately fruity, almost polished. This Merlot is not at all plump like so many representatives of this grape variety - it is medium-bodied, finely accentuated and leads into a respectable finish with fine-pored tannins. SUPERIORE.DE

A delight for lovers of smooth red wines and the second wine from Cotarella's Tenuta Montiano. Deep ruby red, slightly sweetish notes of ripe blackberries and black cherries on the nose, some coffee, spices, vanilla and subtle roasted flavours. Pure and clear in the mouth, soft but powerful tannins, long. SUPERIORE.DE

"A refined and creamy merlot with blackberries, dark chocolate and light graphite. It’s medium-bodied and balanced, with a lovely texture and a juicy and delicious finish. Beautiful now." James Suckling

"Darkly floral, the 2022 Merlot Sodale opens with a daunting dark bouquet of dried violets, lavender, traces of stone dust and crushed blackberries. This splashes across the palate, silky and lifted, with ripe blueberries underscored by tactile mineral tones. The Sodale finishes perfumed and extended with a coating of fine-grained tannins and a staining of primary concentration that resonates." Vinous

South of Margreid lies the "15er" vineyard, which is characterised by deposits from the Fenner stream and the Adige river and has been planted largely with Merlot vines since 1957. Its location enjoys particularly good aeration thanks to the warm wind from Lake Garda, the Ora, which gives the wine a delicate structure and great finesse. Cherry red in colour with a ruby red sheen. Impressive bouquet of concentrated fruit, pepper and vegetal notes. The body is pleasantly medium-bodied, precise and balanced, with a fine bittersweet flavour and convincing freshness. SUPERIORE.DE

The vineyards are located around Margreid on a gentle slope between 220 and 350 m above sea level with a south-southeast orientation. The white, deep limestone gravel soil has a high humus content. Radiant dark ruby red. Complex aroma of cherries, blackberries and liquorice. The taste is firm, yet very warm and round, the silky tannins excellently proportioned. Finishes with a fine melt, very long and full. SUPERIORE.DE

The successful composition of Merlot and Cabernet, both vinified separately and only married after a year of ageing, is bursting with density, strength and fruitiness. Silky tannins and expressive length delight wine lovers. SUPERIORE.DE

The Ponca stretches from the north-east of Udine to the south of Istria in Croatia. The part closest to the winery, which formed in the northernmost bays of the lagoon, lies on the current border between Italy and Slovenia. More precisely, it is divided between two countries, three provincial governments and four protected designations of origin from the Collio, the Colli Orientali del Friuli, the Brda and the Vipava. Initially, with the help of a few Slovenian friends and colleagues, they only experimented with Merlot grapes, but now the grapes are vinified in their own cellar. SUPERIORE.DE

The DOC Cortona, which has existed since 1999, is famous for its single-varietal Syrahs and Merlots, whose vines thrive on the pliocene clay soils. Since 2006, the Carletti family has also been involved in this hitherto relatively unknown appellation, and their Merlot Il Violas is now known beyond Italy's borders and has many fans.

Dense, dark ruby colour with violet reflections. The bouquet is an open-hearted bouquet of black berries, sandalwood, rosemary and fine spices. The texture envelops the palate, warm, intense and rich after dark fruits, chocolate, plum and redcurrant. In Violas is an attractive, generous and deep red that almost calls out for a Bistecca Fiorentina and gives great pleasure. SUPERIORE.DE

"Pure, saturated flavours of black cherries and blackberries are framed by toasted oak in this liquid red wine. Lively, with a light layer of tannin, it is elegant overall. Long lasting finish." Wine Spectator

"Crushed stones and rubbed sage give way to wild berries, hints of black tea and exotic spice as the 2020 In Violas del Poliziano blossoms in the glass. Cool-toned and soothingly round, it sweeps across the palate with silken textures and ripe red and blue fruit notes while taking on a chalky mineral concentration toward the close that I find wildly attractive. It tapers off with a web of fine-grained wood tannins that frames the experience quite well. It is classically dry and has a tinge of licorice that lingers on." Vinous

"Charcoal, black olives, roasted red peppers and dark plums with hints of dark chocolate and cedar. Fine-grained and silky tannins on the palate, with a medium to full body and a long, multi-layered finish. It shows length, depth and finesse. An outstanding Merlot that shows typicity." James Suckling

Le Redini Rosso consists mainly of Merlot and a small proportion of Alicante. The wine opens with dark intensity and a velvety texture with lots of fresh blackberry, plum, earth and wild rose. Pure red fruit on the palate, very supple, the delicate wood note well integrated. The refined notes of a Merlot from the Conca d'Oro come across wonderfully. SUPERIORE.DE

"Intense floral nose of roses, violets, black cherries and subtle spice. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity and taut, chalky tannins that need to soften with bottle ageing. Clean and simple." James Suckling

"The Tenuta degli Dei 2022 Le Redini shows a dry finish, enhanced by dusty tannins and parched fruit notes of blackcurrant and fig tart. The effect is soft and immediate, but I have the feeling that the 2022 vintage skilfully prevents it from becoming too ripe. Instead of jammy notes, you get dried fruit." Wine Advocate

"The 2022 Le Redini is great. Deep and full-bodied, it hits all the right notes. Considering the heat of the year, I'm very surprised by its bright acidity. Blackberries, gravel, crushed rock, incense, liquorice and mocha saturate the palate. The Alicante component in the blend works very well here. This full-bodied, opulent red wine is one of the most distinctive wines produced in Tuscany." Vinous

Intense and enveloping aromas of blackberry, dark fruit and cocoa. Memorable, full-bodied fruit and firm tannins on the palate, which give this Merlot its unique elegance. Pleasantly round, long and with traces of mint on the finish. SUPERIORE.DE

"The nose starts sweet and wild with aromas of blueberries, raspberries and a hint of vanilla, before spicy notes of leather, herbs and pepper make themselves known. On the palate, flavours of cherry, vanilla and milk chocolate support the berry element before a lingering, herbaceous and stony finish." Wine Enthusiast

"The 2019 Sito dell'Ulmo is remarkably pretty, wafting up with a blend of wild blueberries, sage, dusty dried violets and hints of tobacco. It's round and supple, possessing cooling acidity and crisp wild berry fruits that cascade across the palate as rosy inner florals form toward the close. The 2019 tapers off gently tannic yet wildly fresh, finishing with notes of lavender and crushed blackberry. Stunning." Vinous

The first year of production of the single-varietal Merlot Clos Roareti dates back to 2004. The grapes are harvested from the 2 hectare historic Rovereti vineyard in Negrar. In this 100-year-old vineyard, which is surrounded by equally old walls, Merlot has been cultivated since the 1990s and is perfectly adapted to the climate and the red clay soil. The palate is rich and full-bodied with complex and very aromatic notes. Maturation in oak barrels gives this wine its special flavour and a certain opulence. SUPERIORE.DE

Already the famous Italian wine critic Veronelli rated the Colli Berici together with Bolgheri as one of the best growing areas for the Bordelais grape varieties. This rare Merlot is dedicated to its creator Alfredo Lazzarini, whose vineyards Inama recently acquired, and it represents the history of the Colli Berici. Dark ruby garnet, violet reflections, delicate watery rim. Spicy nuances of black cherries, ripe plums, forest floor, some jasmine and a pleasant touch of precious wood. Juicy on the palate, with good complexity and a chocolaty texture, round tannins and a discreet extract sweetness on the finish. SUPERIORE.DE