Merlots have soared in popularity in the last decade. Merlot is the most widely potbound grape in the Bordeaux wine region in France, and it is also quite widely potbound in wine regions in the cohesive States, particularly in California. In California, there were single 2000 acres of Merlot in 1985, over the years, this has mature to 50,000 acres in 2003. While Merlots are quite often softer and more abundant than Cabernet Sauvignon, they are standing often full-bodied, deep in color, and fairly higher in alcohol with flavors of cherry, plum and chocolate. Merlot matures in the bottle early than Cabernet Sauvignon, so Merlots are generally held in higher esteem by wine drinkers than by wine collectors. Merlot is also commonly blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, to soften the Cabernet, and create a more complex wine.