Region: Australia - South Australia - Clare Valley
Grapes: 94% Shiraz, 6% Malbec
Alcohol: 14.5%
Notes on the Wine
A regal wine, balancing firmness and juiciness to great appeal. Aromas of smokey reduction, Davidson plum (a tart, purple native plum), and black cherry. The palate adds complexity with river mint, cinnamon myrtle, and cedar. This wine is defined by length, freshness, and a good balance of interest and drinkability.
Notes on the Producer
Mérite was established in 2000 by husband and wife team Mike Kloak and Colleen Miller. They set up shop in the Joanna section of Wrattonbully, a GI just north of its more famous neighbor Coonawarra, both in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia. Their goal was deliberate and longterm: to grow and vinify extraordinary Bordeaux varieties (plus a little shiraz), with a focus specifically on the oft-maligned and misunderstood merlot.
Their 45 hectares in Wrattonbully benefit from the same soil profiles as Coonawarra, like the famed Terra Rossa, and similar climatic phenomena, like the Bonney Upwelling, which cools nights during summer periods. However, Wrattonbully is a step up in elevation across gentle sloping ranges, with greater variation of aspect among its vineyards, and slightly warmer daytime average temperatures.
