Merlot blanc is a white French wine grape variety that came from a natural crossing of the Bordeaux wine grape

Merlot Merlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of ''merle'', the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the ...

and the Cognac grape

Folle blanche Folle blanche, also known as Picpoule, Gros Plant, and Enrageat blanc, is a wine grape variety from southwest France. It was the traditional grape variety in Cognac and Armagnac production until the 20th century. Folle blanche is an offspring o ...

. The grape is distinct from ''Merlot gris'' which is a pink-skinned color mutation of the red wine grape Merlot and is sometimes used in '' vin gris'' and

rosé A rosé () is a type of wine that incorporates some of the color from the grape skins, but not enough to qualify it as a red wine. It may be the oldest known type of wine, as it is the most straightforward to make with the skin contact method. ...

wines. Plantings of Merlot blanc were first discovered in 1891 but cuttings of the vine have not been widely propagated and the variety is very rare. It is not used to make the sweet White Zinfandel-style wine ''White Merlot'' that is made by some California wine producers. Those wines are made from a '' saignee'' of red Merlot wine.

Relationship to other grapes

When Merlot blanc was first discovered, it was thought that the vine was a white-berried color mutation of Merlot in a similar relation to how Grenache blanc is a color mutation of

Grenache Grenache () or Garnacha () is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. Niels Lillelund: ''Rhône-Vinene'' p. 25, JP Bøger – JP/Politikens Forlagshus A/S, 2004. . It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditi ...

and Pinot blanc is a mutation of

Pinot noir Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words for ''pine'' and ''black.' ...

. However,

DNA analysis Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...

conducted by the

University of California-Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a public land-grant research university near Davis, California. Named a Public Ivy, it is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The institut ...

and noted

ampelographers Ampelography ( ἄμπελος, "vine" + γράφος, "writing") is the field of botany concerned with the identification and classification of grapevines, ''Vitis'' spp. Traditionally this has been done by comparing the shape and colour of the ...

such as Carole Meredith confirmed that Merlot blanc was distinct from Merlot (itself the result of a crossing of the Bordeaux grape

Cabernet Franc Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon. In addition to being us ...

and the Brittany/

Charente Charente (; Saintongese: ''Chérente''; oc, Charanta ) is a department in the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, south western France. It is named after the river Charente, the most important and longest river in the department, an ...

grape Magdeleine Noire des Charentes) but rather was an offspring of Merlot. Inheritance analysis of 55 genetic markers spread out over 9 chromosomes, showed that Merlot blanc was the result of a crossing of Merlot with the Cognac/ Armagnac grape Folle blanche. Merlot Equinox

Wine regions

Even though plantings of Merlot blanc are scarce, the grape is still a permitted a variety in the '' Appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC) wines of several Bordeaux wine regions including the general AOC Bordeaux (but not for wines labeled Bordeaux Supérieur). Here Merlot blanc can be used in up to 30% of the blend along with Semillon (which must make up at least 70% of the blend itself),

Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...

, Muscadelle, Colombard, Mauzac, Ondenc and

Ugni blanc Trebbiano is an Italian wine grape, one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world. It gives good yields, but tends to yield undistinguished wine. It can be fresh and fruity, but does not keep long. Also known as ugni blanc, it h ...

. Merlot blanc destined for AOC wine production are limited to

harvest Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most labor-i ...

yields no greater than 55 hl/ha (approximately 3.7 tons/acre with the finished wines needing to attain a minimum alcohol level of at least 11%. Other Bordeaux AOCs that permit the usage of Merlot blanc in their designated white wines include Bordeaux-Haut-Benauge (maximum harvest yield of 50 hl/ha),

Côtes de Bourg Côtes de Bourg is an ''Appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC) for Bordeaux wine situated around the small town of Bourg-sur-Gironde near Bordeaux, France. The first vineyards in the area were founded by the Romans. In the Middle Ages, Bourg w ...

(but not the Côtes de Blaye) and Entre-Deux-Mers (which like the Côtes de Bourg limits harvest yield to 60 hl/ha). In all these AOCs Merlot blanc plays a supporting role to Semillon, Sauvignon blanc and Muscadelle.

Synonyms

Over the years Merlot blanc has been known under a variety of synonyms including: Merlau blanc, Merlaut blanc and Merlot bianco. Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC)
Merlot blanc
'' Accessed: April 18th, 2013

References

{{Reflist White wine grape varieties