Merlot's alcohol levels have become so high in Bordeaux that there is a danger that regional character will be lost, top oenologists say. In both the 2010 and 2009 vintages it was common to see Merlots surpass 15% alcohol, a situation Didier Cuvelier, owner of Chateau Leoville Poyferre in St Julien , finds ‘disturbing’. In the Medoc, one of the reasons for planting Merlot had been because it ripened better than Cabernet Sauvignon, Cuvelier said.