Winemaker Notes
This is a lithe, sinuous, bright drink of considerable finesse and allure. While quite approachable now, this is one which will greatly benefit from some years in the cellar: it will flesh up beautifully without losing its finesse. The elegant aromas of red currant and bright black cherry offset the tannin structure, which is textbook: dry, dusty, vital and integral.
Vegan
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Plush plum, licorice and black tea notes show fresh accents of herbs, cedar and tobacco, adding a spicy flourish. Tannins firm up on the finish, lending a bold punctuation point to the flavors. Drink now through 2028. 450 cases made, 230 cases imported.
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.