
Merlot, Australia
Merlot in Australia is not a variety you will often see unblended, until recently. It is most often used to add suppleness and mid-palate to Cabernet’s stern, serious structure. In Australia, Merlot is now achieving considerable recognition as a varietal wine. Merlot blended wines are available from the warmer inland regions, such as Riverina, Riverland and Murray Darling. Single varietal Merlot from the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale produces a softer dry plummy wine. Whereas the cooler climates such as the Yarra Valley and Margaret River tends to take on more savoury characters with firmer tannins.
It is the most widely planted grape in Bordeaux, France where planting has rapidly expanded throughout the world in the last decade. Merlot is adaptable to most soils, is relatively simple to cultivate and is a naturally high yielding. In St Emilion and Pomerol, it withstands the moist clay-rich soils far better than Cabernet, producing opulently rich, plummy wines. Le Pin, Pétrus and Clinet are examples of some of the best (and most expensive) Merlot based wines.
Merlot is now grown in virtually all wine growing countries and is particularly successful in New Zealand, California, Chile and Northern Italy. New Zealand's Hawkes Bay is producing outstanding Merlot-based blends, especially from the Gimblett Gravels.
The Australian wine industry is the fourth-largest exporter in the world, exporting 760 million litres to countries such as the UK, France, Italy and Spain. It has been one of the most successful “New World” wine-producing countries. It has done this by formally exporting and marketing its wines as a whole, through Wine Australia. There is also a significant domestic market for Australian wines, with Australians consuming nearly 500 million litres of wine per year. The wine industry is a significant contributor to the Australian economy through production, employment, export and tourism.
Wine regions are in almost all the states with Victoria having 21 regions! Read more about key wine regions such as Margaret River, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Eden Valley, Clare Valley, Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley and local to New South Wales, Cowra, Southern Highlands and Mudgee.
It is the most widely planted grape in Bordeaux, France where planting has rapidly expanded throughout the world in the last decade. Merlot is adaptable to most soils, is relatively simple to cultivate and is a naturally high yielding. In St Emilion and Pomerol, it withstands the moist clay-rich soils far better than Cabernet, producing opulently rich, plummy wines. Le Pin, Pétrus and Clinet are examples of some of the best (and most expensive) Merlot based wines.
Merlot is now grown in virtually all wine growing countries and is particularly successful in New Zealand, California, Chile and Northern Italy. New Zealand's Hawkes Bay is producing outstanding Merlot-based blends, especially from the Gimblett Gravels.
The Australian wine industry is the fourth-largest exporter in the world, exporting 760 million litres to countries such as the UK, France, Italy and Spain. It has been one of the most successful “New World” wine-producing countries. It has done this by formally exporting and marketing its wines as a whole, through Wine Australia. There is also a significant domestic market for Australian wines, with Australians consuming nearly 500 million litres of wine per year. The wine industry is a significant contributor to the Australian economy through production, employment, export and tourism.
Wine regions are in almost all the states with Victoria having 21 regions! Read more about key wine regions such as Margaret River, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Eden Valley, Clare Valley, Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley and local to New South Wales, Cowra, Southern Highlands and Mudgee.
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- As with all Zilzie wines, this represents outstanding value and superb quality for the price. Perfect every day wine from one of the oldest wine producing families in Australia. ... Learn MoreZilzie 'Selection 23' Merlot 2020$11.99 Per itemOut of stock
- As with all Zilzie wines, this represents outstanding value and superb quality for the price. Perfect every day wine from one of the oldest wine producing families in Australia. ... Learn MoreZilzie 'Selection 23' Merlot 2019$11.99 Per itemOut of stock
- Lifted red berries, mint, stone fruits and sweet cherries. The palate features plum, spice and forest fruit flavours balanced by chocolate and vanilla oak notes, finishing with good length and soft fine tannins. ... Learn MoreNorfolk Rise Merlot 2017$12.99 Per item
- Lifted red berries, mint, stone fruits and sweet cherries. The palate features plum, spice and forest fruit flavours balanced by chocolate and vanilla oak notes, finishing with good length and soft fine tannins. Outstanding value! "This shows a lot of “ ... Learn MoreNorfolk Rise Merlot 2016$12.99 Per itemOut of stock
- 12 months in tight grain French and American oak. The nose has primarily lifted strawberry and plum fruit characters. Medium-bodied with an abundance of the primary characters carried through from the nose of plum and strawberry there is also a presence ... Learn MoreThorn Clarke 'Sandpiper' Merlot 2018$14.99 Per item
- The high altitude, age and aspect of Orange and in particular the Koomooloo vineyard has ideal conditions for producing a Pinot Noir of great complexity. The Conductor wears a medium colour with a bright red hue and smells of rich ... Learn MorePhilip Shaw 'The Conductor' Merlot 2016$22.00 Per itemOut of stock
- Lavishly flavoured yet supple, this powerhouse rendition should appeal to many a Merlot devotee. A complex array of ripe fruit and oak on the nose. Plum, coffee and cedar combined with subtle notes of dark chocolate and cedar. Complex layers ... Learn MoreKatnook Estate Merlot 2016$34.99 Per itemOut of stock
- The dry nature of this area produces low-yielding vines where the fruit is highly concentrated in flavour, resulting in vibrant and elegant styles of wines. ... Learn MoreParker Estate Terra Rossa Merlot 2010$39.99 Per item
- Made by consultant winemaker Rick Kinzbrunner, this is an awesome expression of New-World Merlot ... Learn MoreStar Lane Beechworth Merlot 2014$44.99 Per item
- Star Lane Beechworth Merlot 2010$44.99 Per itemOut of stock
- This wine exhibits all the hallmarks of a great Merlot. It has intense varietal fruit characters with an elegant, well structured palate. ... Learn MorePeppertree Reserve Coonawarra Merlot 1998$50.00 Per item
- It smells comforting at first, but as the drinker delves, the bouquet unveils mossy, damp forest earth, and then fresher, leafy greens emerge with their tannins. Medium bodied, strawberry and plum, savoury, grainy graphite tannin, cool acidity, tomato paste flavour ... Learn More
- The Revivalist has a powerful bouquet of black cherry, milk chocolate and a touch of bay laurel. Bold flavours of blackberries and barrel toast are enveloped in a lush mouthfeel. Hardly lacking in structure, the wine is incredibly balanced with ... Learn MoreHickinbotham The Revivalist Merlot 2018$72.99 Per item
- Brian Croser reports that the “ 1998 vintage was significantly cooler at 1401 degrees Celsius heat summation as against the districts average of 1414 degrees Celsius.” Both the Petaluma Merlot vineyards were drought affected which resulted in a diminished berry size “to the smallest ... Learn MorePetaluma Reserve Coonawarra Merlot 1998$74.99 Per item
- 100% Merlot matured in French oak for 15 months. ... Learn MoreHickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard 'The Revivalist' Merlot 2016$74.99 Per itemOut of stock
- 100% Merlot matured in French oak for 15 months. ... Learn MoreHickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard 'The Revivalist' Merlot 2015$75.00 Per itemOut of stock
- Vinification: Picking date determined by berry sensory analysis. Hand-picked and sorted by clonal batches. Fully-destemmed then lightly crushed, fermentation in small stainless-steel vats by clonal batches at 23c with remontage twice-daily for 7 days. Racked into barrels to complete fermentation then ... Learn MoreMerite Ultra Merlot 2015$120.00 Per itemOut of stock