Merlot gives colour and the richness of alcohol, making the wine round and supple. It has aromas of ripe, red fruit.

Cabernet Sauvignon provides the tannic backbone or structure. It is very aromatic in young wines with its  aromas of  blackcurrant  but also allows the wine to gain enormous complexity with age.

How to pick your wine If your taste is for the soft, plumy, fruitcake  style  of Merlot, look  out for wines from Saint-Émilion, Pomerol and Fronsac. If you're a Cabernet Sauvignon fan, try wines from the  Médoc,  Graves or  Pessac-Léognan.  If you are looking to  keep your   wine for a   few years, Médoc and Graves wines, together with those from the  Saint-Émilion  vineyards,  generally age better than other reds. Wines from the Côtes, Bordeaux and the Bordeaux Supérieur appellations are better appreciated when young - say 2 to 5 years.

How to best serve  Bordeaux red wines should ideally be served at 16-18°C. Because they have such good balance between alcohol, tannin and acidity, they  make perfect  food  wines:  Médoc and Graves go well with red meat courses and roasts. Saint-Émilion, Pomerol and  Fronsac  wines go well with white meats, poultry, game and even fish.  The  Bordeaux,  Bordeaux Supérieur  and Côte wines make an ideal partner to grill, pasta and even more exotic" fusion" dishes.