Merlot's disappearance, and the 'Sideways effect'

Where did all the Merlot go? I was asked this recently and, sure enough, if you scour the supermarket or off-licence, you will see much varietal Merlot on offer, except perhaps some entry-level wines from Chile and the Languedoc. 
There was a time when Merlot featured prominently on the backstage riders of rock stars along with M&Ms (with the brown ones removed obviously), it was dubbed “Cabernet without the pain”, thanks to its soft tannins and easy-drinking fruitiness. Then the movie Sideways gave it a proper bashing: “If anyone orders Merlot I’m leaving, I’m not drinking any f&*king Merlot”,  the main character Miles famously declared. The so-called ‘Sideways effect’ on Merlot has been disputed, it should be said, but there is no doubt the grape is less fashionable than in its heyday.

Of course, one region did not abandon Merlot, and that is Bordeaux where it is the main grape in Saint-Émilion, almost the only grape grown in Pomerol and Lalande-de-Pomerol, and has significant plantings in Graves and the Médoc. You just won’t see Merlot on the label.
The Merlot Miles hated was, of course, not Bordeaux but the rather confected over-ripe Merlot that was commonly produced by Californian winemakers in the 1990s, he would have loved if someone ordered Château Pétrus, Le Pin or Angelus. In fact, an in-joke in Sideways is the Ch. Cheval-Blanc 1961 he drinks with his cheeseburger near the end, is half Merlot, half Cabernet Franc.

Virtually every Bordeaux wine has Merlot to soften the Cabernet or Cabernet to add tension to the Merlot. Bordeaux itself is less fashionable but I still drink it regularly, I love how it ages and I particularly love its balance of fruit, tannins and acidity and how the wines only occasionally go over 14% ABV. 

H. Cuvelier & Fils, AOP Bordeaux, Rouge, 2023

From the Cuvelier family who own several renowned Bordeaux properties including Ch. Léoville Poyferré Cru Classé in Saint-Julien and Ch. Le Crock in St. Estephe, both wines I have praised highly. This is from sourced grapes and has pleasing blackcurrant and cassis aromas with a touch of spice, a supple palate, medium weight and a nice balance of dark fruit, grip and freshness, also just 13% ABV. Bargain.