Winemaker Notes
Brilliant Ruby in color with a bright cherry and violet nose, the 2018 Scooter is tantalizing from the outset. The first sip fills the palate with intense red fruit like raspberries and fresh plum. As these vibrant flavours continue to develop on the palate, soft tannins complement notes of mocha and dried herbs, creating a uniquely bold Merlot.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Black pepper and herbal highlights are plush and juicy, with a note of black tea complementing the jammy core of blackberry and plum flavors. Ripe and generous, offering a firm, muscular backbone. Drink now through 2030.
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.