Merlot is a traditional grape of the Saint Émillion wines, Bordeaux region - France. It was introduced into, the State of Rio Grande do Sul by the Estação Agronômica de Porto Alegre, Brazil. Today, of the red grape cultivars it shows the largest production in the Serra Gaúcha region. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the enological potential of Merlot grapes for red winemaking. To achieve this purpose, variables related to berry clusters, must and wine were measured between 1987 and 1994 vintages, from Merlot vineyards located in the municipality of Bento Gonçalves. The results showed that Merlot grapes have clusters of medium size (161.9g) and small berries (1.61g). The must showed adequate sugar level (18.4ºBrix), high titratable acidity (104mqL-1) and medium pH 3.21. The wine Merlot had an alcohol content of 10.8% v/v, titratable acidity of 70.3meqL-1 and pH 3.49. With regard the sensory evaluation, Merlot wine showed a good red color intensity with violet reflexes. The mouth feel soft and balanced.
enology; grape; Vitis vinifera; wine; characterization
