The Auswine Forum

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?

Henschke Abbotts Prayer

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

From the Merlot mentioned above, Kyeema looks to be the most interesting with the Henschke although this latter wine will be very questionable value for money.

Adair

Haven't had them for a while but I have been very impressed by Brookland Valley and Happs (might be under the Three Hills label now) in the past

Howard Park Best Barrels Merlot. Very rich very full bodied.

Not sure if you can get it near you but Robert Johnson Vineyards do a very handy merlot worth a try!

Australian Merlot, more miss than hit I'm afraid.

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 $$$

Petaluma Merlot 2001..96 points JO...A wine that many love and many hate. I am not sure if theres much bottle variation but I loved my first and glad I have a few more. Easy enough to find too.

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.

Gavin Trott wrote:Not sure if you can get it near you but Robert Johnson Vineyards do a very handy merlot worth a try!

Australian Merlot, more miss than hit I'm afraid.

Agree. Robert also does a second label Merlot under the Allan and Veitch label which is worth a try.

Wild Duck Creek Reserve Merlot - lovely gorgeous stuff! Hasn't made it for a while yet though...

Red wrote

Nice try, they should send you a free bottle.

Here here

Fair enough you found it over priced at CD$75 (too green edged?) but I still believe it definatley had great fruit Strength and varietal expression. Given time to open up (decanted) would be worth the look for comparison sake.

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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

Merlot!

The wine people order when they cant pronounce Cabernet Sauvignon.

Yarra Yering; from memory the first $100 wine after Grange broke the barrier (or was it before Grange hit the hundred?).

Australis was hovering around there as well, but Bailey's WW was trumpetted more for price than for quality.

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Henschke Abbots Prayer - as mentioned above. The 2001 is also very good.

Brand's of Coonawarra - 2001 is very good

Pepper Tree Grand Reserve

Warren Vineyard 1999 Merlot

Brown Hill Croesus Merlot

although I suspect both might be difficult to get your hands on.

Another more readily available is the Picardy Merlot Cabernet if you are taking merlot-dominated blends.

Cheers

Dave

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

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

Attila wrote: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.

Have you tried the 2004 yet? If so, how does it compare to the 2002?



Bill

some other Merlots to consider are the
2001 Petaluma Merlot - if you can find it!
Grant Burge Mimba (I think!) - generally a good all rounder

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.

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.

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.

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

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

hence my frustration with the variety and my appreciation and full support of Myles' outburst in the restaurant.

Read somewhere that Merlot is slang over there for 'house wine', Myles wasnt putting down the varietal but rather 'plonk'