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Summer
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| Margaret River Varieties Soft, Sumptuous Merlot | ||
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Any red lover worth their salt can't resist the soft, honeyed, plummy, even toffee-ish characters of this wine. Good Merlot is deeply seductive and alluring. The Californians love the stuff, probably because in their sometimes impetuous manner they don't have to wait for the tannins to mellow in the cellar, like Cab. Sauv. They want it good, and they want it now. Merlot's like that. But that doesn't mean the wine won't age well. On the contrary, it is at the heart of many a great old Bordeaux. When made right, the wine has almost silky tannins integrated with its berry and stone fruit tones and is lush and velvety on the palate. Yet it is the tannic qualities of the grape which have made it so useful in blending with Cabernet Sauvignon, where it does a wonderful balancing act, giving the wine a softer appeal in its youth. |
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It is the king of varieties in Bordeaux, particularly the Medoc, Pomerol and St. Emilion where it is the most widely planted grape. However it is also highly adaptable and seems to thrive throughout the recognised red wine regions of the world. To use Jancis Robertson's rather cute analogy of the grape's versatility: "Merlot's a bit of a tart that will bed down anywhere." That includes Margaret River. There are some absolutely wonderful Merlots coming out of Margaret River today, particularly from one area of the Willyabrup microclimate. The Merlots of Brookland Valley and Ribbon Vale (which, by the way, are right across the road from one another) are among the best in the country. Both wines are quite similar, however the Brookland Valley seems to have softer tannins at an earlier age than the Ribbon Vale. Nevertheless the RV will undoubtedly have a longer life in the cellar and develop beautifully. The Margaret River Merlot is usually an intense red/purple in colour, offering up plum and dark cherry characters. It is subtle, rich and concentrated with attractive texture, good weight and fine tannins. With five or so years cellaring the wines become a revelation: velvety, elegant, powerful and bursting with flavour. Perhaps it is Margaret River's youth as a region that has seen most of the Merlot in the area blended with Cabernet - just to be on the safe side. But to me, Merlot is best when it stands alone. If, as they say, Margaret River is the Bordeaux of the New World, then this grape has a huge future here. |
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