Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Graceful and perfumed, with notes of candied violet and gingerbread adding richness to the plum, cassis, fudge and black walnut liqueur flavors. Features dense, polished tannins and a long, lingering finish. Drink now through 2026. 238 cases made.
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James Suckling
A rich red and blue fruited style with a sweet-smelling oak-infused nose, some distinct eucalypt notes at the edge too, fresh leafy elements, some fig fruit, bright and lively. The palate has a terrific core of velvety fruit, really supple, smooth and even, tannins just register above the flesh, great balance here, red plum and blueberry flavors with toasty oak spices to close.
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Known for opulent red wines with intense power and concentration, McLaren Vale is home to perhaps the most “classic” style of Australian Shiraz. Vinified on its own or in Rhône Blends, these hot-climate wines are deeply colored and high in extract with signature hints of dark chocolate and licorice. Cabernet Sauvignon is also produced in a similar style.
Whites, often made from Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc tend to be opulent and full of tropical, stone and citrus fruit.