Drink for the French lieutenant – bottles of Irish wine (6)

I believe the answer is:

merlot

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'wine' is the definition.
(I know that Merlot is a type of red wine)

I don't understand the remainder of the clue.

(Other definitions for merlot that I've seen before include "Kind of wine grape" , "Black grape variety" , "Wine-producing black grape" , "Grape makes elm rot" , "Black wine grape" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.

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