Our vineyard group is planning a merlot tasting later this month. We usually aim for a range of countries, regions, price points and styles with these varietal tastings. I must confess I am almost completely ignorant about merlot (from Australia, France and anywhere else). I'd appreciate a steer from forum members about things worth sourcing.
At the moment, we will have:
- Irvine (South Aust)
- Rumball sparkling merlot
- Kay Bros (McLaren Vale)
- Kyeema (Canberra)
plus some of Steve Lubiana's Tasmanian merlot if I can get it.
Any other suggestions?
Merlot tasting
Merlot tasting
Paul.
Paul,
Australian Merlot is generally rubbish. New Zealand Merlot is much, much better. They can be powerful, structred wines. 2002 Craggy Range Merlot and 2000 Kingsley Estate Merlot, both Grimletts Gravel - Hawke's Bay, are excellent examples of what Merlot can be.
Apart from New Zealand and Australia, I have no other opinions about New World Merlot. If you can afford it, look to France for variety and greatness.
Adair
Australian Merlot is generally rubbish. New Zealand Merlot is much, much better. They can be powerful, structred wines. 2002 Craggy Range Merlot and 2000 Kingsley Estate Merlot, both Grimletts Gravel - Hawke's Bay, are excellent examples of what Merlot can be.
Apart from New Zealand and Australia, I have no other opinions about New World Merlot. If you can afford it, look to France for variety and greatness.
Adair
Wine is bottled poetry.
-
Gavin Trott
- Posts: 1860
- Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2003 5:01 pm
- Location: Adelaide
- Contact:
Merlot? Go kiwi..
My Favourite NZ Merlots and Merlot Blends. Id say over half of these would be better than Aussies best at a guess. 
$ circa $30-45
$$ circa $45-65
$$$ circa $65-150
$$$$ $150+
CJ Pask Reserve - Restrained and Classy $$
Villa Maria Reserve - Fruit Driven and yum $
Seleni EV - Elegant but powerful $$$
Redmetal The Merlot - All guns blazing $$$
Craggy Range Gimblet - Good value dark $
Kingsley Reserve - Red fruited structured $
Esk Valley Reserve - Opulent and textured $$
Esk Valley Terraces - The reserve up a notch $$$
Goldwater Esslin - Elegant $$$
Providence - Elegant complex, super rare $$$$
Unison Selection - Fantastic $
Clearview Reserve - Fleshy $
Fromm La Strada - Structured $$
Montana Tom - Integrated $$$
$ circa $30-45
$$ circa $45-65
$$$ circa $65-150
$$$$ $150+
CJ Pask Reserve - Restrained and Classy $$
Villa Maria Reserve - Fruit Driven and yum $
Seleni EV - Elegant but powerful $$$
Redmetal The Merlot - All guns blazing $$$
Craggy Range Gimblet - Good value dark $
Kingsley Reserve - Red fruited structured $
Esk Valley Reserve - Opulent and textured $$
Esk Valley Terraces - The reserve up a notch $$$
Goldwater Esslin - Elegant $$$
Providence - Elegant complex, super rare $$$$
Unison Selection - Fantastic $
Clearview Reserve - Fleshy $
Fromm La Strada - Structured $$
Montana Tom - Integrated $$$
Follow me on Vivino for tasting notes Craig Thomson
Partagas wrote:Howard Park Best Barrels Merlot. Very rich very full bodied.
Nice try, they should send you a free bottle.
About the only Aus merlot I've bought any quantity of (or more than once) is from Brookland Valley, their Estate Merlot has good structure and is built to cellar a while, I had a bottle of the 95 vintage recently and it was about on the peak/plateau, not fading at all. The current vintage 2001 even scored a Highly Recommended from TORB when I forced him to try it in February.
Cheers
Brian
Life's too short to drink white wine and red wine is better for you too! :-)
Brian
Life's too short to drink white wine and red wine is better for you too! :-)
-
Baby Chickpea
- Posts: 582
- Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2004 12:17 pm
Here here 
Coldstream Hills 2003
Coldstram Hills Reserve 2000
Tatachilla Clarendon goes ok.
Laughing Frog from Adelaide Hills
Shaw and Smith (now ripped up)
Howard Park Best Barrels - the 95 was astoundingly good.
Plantagenet Rocky Horror 2001
Higher Plane 2001 - Big in extract but good.
Henschke Abbots 1999 is very good.
Petaluma make a good fist of it.
..and Katnook is ok generally.
That should do you.. oh and suprisingly Margan goes ok...and if you can source a bottle of the single barrel from 2003 Lakes Folly...
GW
Coldstram Hills Reserve 2000
Tatachilla Clarendon goes ok.
Laughing Frog from Adelaide Hills
Shaw and Smith (now ripped up)
Howard Park Best Barrels - the 95 was astoundingly good.
Plantagenet Rocky Horror 2001
Higher Plane 2001 - Big in extract but good.
Henschke Abbots 1999 is very good.
Petaluma make a good fist of it.
..and Katnook is ok generally.
That should do you.. oh and suprisingly Margan goes ok...and if you can source a bottle of the single barrel from 2003 Lakes Folly...
GW
-
Dave Dewhurst
- Posts: 283
- Joined: Wed Apr 05, 2006 2:03 pm
- Location: Perth, WA
Leconfield 95 Merlot is good if you can find any.
Plantagenet Rocky Horror Merlot 01
Shaw & Smith is quite nice
Uleybury Merlot is a beast of a wine - big, tannic and oaky
Katnook can be good.
Petaluma is generally good.
CMC La Testa is OK
Higher Plane
Moorilla Winter Collection merlot might be good if you can source
Bah! Most of this has already been said.
I worked out that I didn't hate merlot enough when I looked at a Langtons invoice and it was all merlot.
Kieran
Plantagenet Rocky Horror Merlot 01
Shaw & Smith is quite nice
Uleybury Merlot is a beast of a wine - big, tannic and oaky
Katnook can be good.
Petaluma is generally good.
CMC La Testa is OK
Higher Plane
Moorilla Winter Collection merlot might be good if you can source
Bah! Most of this has already been said.
I worked out that I didn't hate merlot enough when I looked at a Langtons invoice and it was all merlot.
Kieran
"In the wine of life, some of us are destined to be cork sniffers." - Dilbert
If you are looking for POWER pstarr I recommend the 2002 Craggy Range (but NOT the 20003) from NZ, it's a real powerhouse, long haul tannic monster that needs decanting. About AU $36.
The real surprise (it was a revelation for me) however is the 2003 Giants Steps Sexston Merlot from the Yarra Valley that is lovely, varietal and superbly balanced at AU $30 or less. Far better than most merlots at this price range, a real standout.
Cheers,
Attila
The real surprise (it was a revelation for me) however is the 2003 Giants Steps Sexston Merlot from the Yarra Valley that is lovely, varietal and superbly balanced at AU $30 or less. Far better than most merlots at this price range, a real standout.
Cheers,
Attila
-
The Cork Dork
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:56 am
-
The Cork Dork
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:56 am
Oh and I forgot to one other very good merlot -
Howard Park Best Barrels Merlot. Very rich very full bodied.
I cannot understand why oh why, people are bagging this wine - it is a very good wine a very good merlot. Is it expensive, probably, Is it good wine - hell yes, I bought a couple of bottles last year at CD.
Howard Park Best Barrels Merlot. Very rich very full bodied.
I cannot understand why oh why, people are bagging this wine - it is a very good wine a very good merlot. Is it expensive, probably, Is it good wine - hell yes, I bought a couple of bottles last year at CD.
The Cork Dork wrote:Oh and I forgot to one other very good merlot -
Howard Park Best Barrels Merlot. Very rich very full bodied.
I cannot understand why oh why, people are bagging this wine - it is a very good wine a very good merlot. Is it expensive, probably, Is it good wine - hell yes, I bought a couple of bottles last year at CD.
Which vintage? It's the 2003 that I and some others bagged.
Cheers
Brian
Life's too short to drink white wine and red wine is better for you too! :-)
Brian
Life's too short to drink white wine and red wine is better for you too! :-)
Howard Park Best Barrels Merlot. Very rich very full bodied.
I cannot understand why oh why, people are bagging this wine - it is a very good wine a very good merlot. Is it expensive, probably, Is it good wine - hell yes, I bought a couple of bottles last year at CD.
Finally. Thanks Cork dork. My experience was exactly the same and I think it was 2002 vintage. The crew I was with also agreed. Very expensive for Merlot but very good wine.
-
The Cork Dork
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:56 am
my pleasure! I think that I purchased the 02 HP BBM - it was last year anyway. Like I said it was expensive, but a good Merlot, I would not have purchased it! I know when I have tasted a good Merlot. The 01 Petaluma Merlot excellent and a good drop, the Grant Burge another good one! also the 01 Cullen Merlot - sensational! (not made each year), tried the 04 last year and not that good at all. When I taste a wine (whatever variety) I put them up against other wines that I have tried in the past, price for me comes a very, very LAST, if I choose to pay $75 for the HP BBM then so be it, because it was very good wine, up against others that I have tried it came up with the goods.
oh, did I forget to mention - Howard Park Best Barrels Merlot. Very rich very full bodied
oh, did I forget to mention - Howard Park Best Barrels Merlot. Very rich very full bodied
Bloody hell......27 posts about Merlot!!!
Trying to think back to the Merlot's I have enjoyed a trend started to appear. I have not enjoyed a consistent run of Merlot from any one producer. A 98 Coldstream Merlot stands out, as does the 96 Petaluma, and yes I enjoyed the 03 Howard Park Best Barrels, but balked at the price, and the 97 from All Saints was particularly good.
It's an inconsistent little bastard and no one producer seems to have it nailed down....which makes posts like this difficult. It is easy to name any number of producers who can knock out a good, to great to exceptional Cabernet or Shiraz year in year out, but I cannot think of a single one who does the same with Merlot....hence my frustration with the variety and my appreciation and full support of Myles' outburst in the restaurant.
LL
Trying to think back to the Merlot's I have enjoyed a trend started to appear. I have not enjoyed a consistent run of Merlot from any one producer. A 98 Coldstream Merlot stands out, as does the 96 Petaluma, and yes I enjoyed the 03 Howard Park Best Barrels, but balked at the price, and the 97 from All Saints was particularly good.
It's an inconsistent little bastard and no one producer seems to have it nailed down....which makes posts like this difficult. It is easy to name any number of producers who can knock out a good, to great to exceptional Cabernet or Shiraz year in year out, but I cannot think of a single one who does the same with Merlot....hence my frustration with the variety and my appreciation and full support of Myles' outburst in the restaurant.
LL