Mérite Wines

While almost all Australian Merlot in the bottle is from one clone, this wine, our flagship wine, is a multi-clone blend made from French clones that are new to Australia, on a site that produces fruit a grade or two above what is normally expected of Australian Merlot. These ‘new’ clones grow better and so may be harvested earlier providing a new set of flavour profiles and wine styles for Australian Merlot. This wine aims to be a new benchmark Australian Merlot.

Our parcel at MÉRITE was established in 2006 with a deliberate goal: let’s produce much better Merlot. The 'new' clones were planted on a pristine unplanted site - the French clones were not grafted onto another previously planted vine’s roots which readily influence the upper vine. Each clone was planted in a Phlloxera-free zone on own-roots and low vigour rootstocks and on two different soil profiles so that a winemaker may select from a ‘menu of Merlot’ at harvest time.

Some clones are directly from France while others journeyed via Italy and Argentina. The parcel is managed with sensitivity to the clones, the varying soils profiles and where they had previously thrived in order to bring out the best in each mini-parcel.

Soil profiles comprise Terra Rossa over Limestone, at varying depths, and a plate of clay around 1 metre deep.

Reviews of 2015 MÉRITE Merlot - low inventory - Museum stock available

Read Jane Anson's article discussing our work with French clones of Merlot that are new to Australia in Decanter magazine here

Another Special Value wine! Read James Halliday's 96 point review - Drink by 2035 here

"Bright, juicy, fruit-filled and savoury at once. It’s all laced together with ultra-fine tannin too. We are in pretty classy terrain here. Shaved pencils, black cherries, boysenberries, redcurrant. None of the dreaded mulberry. Flings of earth. It s super succulent and beautifully balanced. It almost feels like it s been painted in watercolours too, almost always a good sign, though there s just a bit more oomph than those words commonly imply. That said, it s a steadfastly medium-bodied wine, with no pretensions for anything more. Just look at the tannin structure of this wine. 94 points" Campbell Mattinson www.winefront.com.au

"Densely scented bouquet with aromas of sweet plum and new oak, violet and clove, wild red berries and liquorice root; as it opens up in the glass the concentration and complexity builds whilst holding onto its very youthful quiver. On the palate – an obvious yet not overdone ripeness and concentration with flavours that reflect the nose centering on plums, some blue fruits and floral moments. The oak is obvious with its youthful attack, but will integrate over time; medium+ (ish) tannins and acidity, well made and drinking well now. Best from 2019 through 2030+. 94 Points" - Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier www.camdouglasms.com

"I recently tasted the excellent 2015 Mérite Merlot from Wrattonbully" January 2019 Tim Atkin AW

"It's a finer, tighter and more composed wine than most. It allows its internal architecture to be seen and felt without the layering or pillowy padding that can turn many merlots flabby. It offers up aromas of plum skin, violets, snapped twigs and roast tomatoes that draw you into a beautifully shaped, elegantly framed wine with a willowy draping of uber-fine tannins. If this is where Australian merlot is going, then I’m very happy to follow." writes Nick Ryan in The Australian here

“The wines they’re producing with these new clones are at the forefront of a revival of top-quality Merlot in Australia.” Max Allen in the Australian Financial Review here

REVIEWS OF 2018 MERITE MERLOT

"Matured in French oak. This is polished and plush with sweet,berried fruit rolling attractively through the palate, complemented by cedar, violet, bay leaf and graphite characters. It feels complex on its own, easy going way, for the most part, though as it breathes the intricacy of the tannin is revealed, for the positive. a creaminess to the texture ramps up the pleasure that little bit more." 94 points Tasted Aug 2023 Campbell Mattinson Wine Companion

"This wine was served blind last night, against Pomerol and St Emilion - and totally smashed it! A brilliant bottle from MERITE" Jane Anson – Read here

Clones of Merlot bring complexity to this concentrated, flavour-laden red, in which depth and intensity abound." Peter Bourne read more here

REVIEWS OF 2020 MERITE MERLOT

"This is a wine that stand tall amongst many blends and single varieties. a testament to the love of merlot over the years." 93 points Shanteh Wale Wine Companion

2024 VINTAGE AVAILABLE DECEMBER 1

A classic cellar-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon grown on Terra Rossa over Limestone soils with the advantage of Australia's best "new clone" Merlot blended in. This wine is a window into a new chapter for Australian Cabernet Sauvignon.

REVIEWS OF THE 2015 VINTAGE - low inventory

"A powerful, rich and ripe (but not too ripe) wine with luscious fruit and oak in an Indian arm-wrestle for dominance. Even now (tasted Feb17) they are evenly matched, so with another 5 or so years the fruit will be foremost. Tannins - both fruit and oak derived - play a significant role and will continue to do so. A classy wine in every way." 96 points Special Value wine Drink til 2035 James Halliday in Wine Companion

"Cellarworthy Cabernet if ever there was one. The. Structure of this is just spot on. Its bold, and complex, but its the tannins, structure and acidity that really impresses. Bay leaves, boysenberry, black currant/Redcurrant and peppercorn notes flush the palate with flavour before herb-infused tannin arrests control. Its aromatic too, classically so. It unfolds beautifully as it rests in the glass." 95 points Drink til 2035+ Campbell Mattinson www.winefront.com.au

94 points in blind Panel Tasting for Limestone Coast Leading Reds in GTWine magazine. “The palate is elegant with succulent berry fruit and fine tannin.” says Toni Paterson MW and “The wine is quite youthful and I found an interplay between blackberry, black currant and garden herbs. There’s an excellent concentration and fine, pleasantly dry tannins to finish” writes Nick Bullied MW. Read more here

REVIEWS OF 2020 MÉRITE CABERNET SAUVIGNON

For the most part, its a fleshy Cabernet with good / attractive fruit flavour, firming and freshening though the finish in the process of elevating its quality. Blackcurrant, violet, mint and twiggy-herb flavours combine successfully throughout, with resiny oak showing through the aftertaste. A well make and well-flavoured wine." 94 points Campbell Mattinson.

Now Australia has better clones of Merlot. This is made from just one of them: Q45

What does this "new clone" Merlot taste like?

It's a bold wine with intense fruit flavours, brightness and superfine tannins.

Reviews of the 2016 Q MERLOT

"MERITE has five clones of Merlot, one the long-used (lesser quality) clone, the others 8R, Q45, 343 and 181. This wine was made from two batches of Q45, one on its own roots from terra rossa soils, one grafted onto rootstock planted in sandier soils. Lightly fined and matured in oak (30 percent new) for 8 months. It's still a work in progress, but the texture, structure, purple and black fruit flavours point the way ahead."

95 points Special Value wine 2020 Halliday Wine Companion

Reviews of the 2018 Q Merlot

"Lovely fruit here. You get the feeling that the vines are digging in deeper. Less mulberry, more plum, more blackcurrant. There are traces of mint here too, along with swoops of cedarwood and black olive, but all these aspects are integrated, and all work a treat. I like the tannin here too; it’s assertive without getting in the way. This is a merlot I would buy, and I don’t write those words often." Campbell Mattinson 93 points on The Wine Front

"This is certainly complete and savoury with impressive concentration though the middle palate and finish - an attribute often missing in Australian Merlot. The tannins are a highlight: they are fine but gravelly, and give real grip and texture to the palate. redolent with plums, mulberry, cocoa, licorice and earthy spice. Very smart." Erin Larkin 93 points Wine Companion

Reviews of the 2020 Q Merlot

"This is a Merlot worth hunting down. The flavours shoot through the wine in convincing style, bringing nuance but also out-and-out fruit flavour, of both the red and black berried kind. Its neat, firm, polished and generally well finished, with just enough grain to keep it feeling real." 94 points Campbell Mattinson Wine Companion.

Almost fifteen years ago, vignerons Colleen and Mike spent four months in Argentina to taste and learn everything they could about growing and making Argentine Malbec. Later, when Argentine clones of Malbec became available in Australia they seized the opportunity to plant an experimental parcel of four clones on their site in 2008 - seeing synergies between their cool climate site and some of the high altitude estates around Mendoza.

Argentine clones can produce smaller berries, creating wine that is more intense in colour and flavours. On our site, our soils and climate coax these newer clones to create Malbec that is inky, with intense fruitiness and aromatic qualities, and the excellent natural acidity and fine tannins.

We're really excited to be able to share an inky, vibrant, delicious Australian cool climate expression of Argentine Malbec with you.