$3199each $383DOZEN EACH DOZEN

$1699each $203DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Perched atop the spectacular boulder strewn hills of the Great Dividing Range, the Granite Hills property lies to the northern extremity of the Macedon Ranges, along a route taken by Burke and Wills on their fateful journey. At 550 metres, it is one of the highest elevation vineyards in Australia. Established in 1970, a small block of Merlot thrives under the cool ripening climes. A backbone of limited yield, estate growm Merlot is vinified alongside choice parcels, hand selected from good vineyards at Heathcote.

$2599each $311DOZEN EACH DOZEN Granite Hills can lay claim to the oldest vines on the Macedon Ranges, their roots have reached well down into the old, granitic sandy loam soils. It's the excellent drainage and low fertility attributes of the soils at Granite Hills that are so beneficial to the balance of the vine, keeping the yields low and quality of grapes high. This clean vineyard theme is reinforced by exposure to the prevailing winds, which tends to lower any humidity and disease pressures while naturally limiting yields. Hand pruning, meticulous vineyard management and selective hand picking is employed to ensure only the fully ripened grapes ever enter the winery. Matured in a selection of seasoned French and American oak barrels for a year.

Ruby purple colour. Warm toasty oak aromas are supported by ripe Merlot fruit, chocolates and cassis. The palate is full but soft, showing sweet spice and a supple tannin structure. Made to be enjoyed immediately upon release yet will continue to evolve nicely in the medium term. Perfect with lamb and a treat alongside your favourite recipe of shepherd's pie.

Leconfield take aim each year to construct a fragrant, mouth filling Coonawarra Merlot, from grapes infused by the rich terra rosa soils, layered with great depth of flavour and framed by sound structure, in which oak plays an important but not prominent role. Significantly, the vines are in their third decade of productivity and yield a distinctly elegant Merlot wine of great sophistication and exquisite balance, suitably swathed in a robe of fine, silky tannins.

$2499each $299DOZEN EACH DOZEN Since inaugural release, Leconfield have been driven by the philosophy that great wines can only come from great vineyards. Merlot grapes are harvested off exclusively estate grown vines, including clone V3D14, planted 1974, 1982 and 1990 to Coonawarra's reddest Terra rossa soils. After a detailed hand clean up which follows the initial machine pruning, grapes are crushed and juices inoculated, initiating tthe ferments and a term of three weeks resting on sedimentery yeast lees. Following completion of malolactic, Leconfield is treated to fifteen months in a combination of new and prior use French and American oak hogsheads and barriques. Alcohol 14.0%

Vibrant youthful red colour. Powerful sweet fruit bouquet enhanced by integrated, cedar oak. An elegant, yet full flavoured Merlot, a concentration of plum, fruit sweetness and persistence expected from Coonawarra with fine long silky tannins. To accompany twice cooked duckling and modern Asian cuisine.

River Block is planted to a gentle easterly slope of rich red terra rosa soils over a limestone bluff alongside the Mitchell River, an opportune terroir that's heaven sent for the realization of world class vintages Shiraz. Grapes are all selectively hand picked and gently destemmed into small open fermenters, hand plunged twice daily and treated to a hundred days of maceration before filling to an extravagantly high proportion of new French oak. Magnificently balanced, seamless and profound, little more than a hundred dozen can be made each vintage.

$5999each $719DOZEN EACH DOZEN

$4299each $513DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Coonawarra Merlot is every bit as elegant, fragrant and generously proportioned as the mighty Cabernet, often assembled together for a rounded, softer style of red, Merlot provides a plummy, chamois tannined option when bottled as a pure varietal wine. Majella take their duty to the soil and environment very seriously, they are as fastidious about the health of local flora and fauna, as they are about maintaining the purity and hygiene of their fruit. The dividends come in the form of an immaculate Merlot wine of faultless varietal eloquence and graceful regional charm.

$3599each $431DOZEN EACH DOZEN Majella are a quiet Coonawarra achiever, having provided fruit to the most prestigious national brands for decades. They decided to reserve the pick of their crop for bottling under their own estate label and have since established a peerles reputation for quality, consistency and value. Merlot is harvested and vinified before filling to a high proportion of new French oak barrels for completion of ferments, a course of malolactic and fifteen months maturation.

Deep, brooding red. Perfumed plum and floral nose, strawberry and anise notes over a background of suet cake and cocoa vanilla oak. A very refined and elegant wine, defining the allure of good Merlot fruit throughout the palate, varietal leaf, a little ferrous Coonawarra earthiness and forest floor characters providing interest, smooth plummy tannins in support of the excellent length and finely aromatic finish.

Whilst the main McGuigan winery is situated within the heart of the picturesque Hunter Valley, McGuigan's multi award winning wines can source fruit from a wide and varied expanse of good vineyards. The primary aim of the innovative winemaking team is to produce a range of complimentary wine styles that deliver exceptional quality and consistency. To achieve this goal, parcels of Merlot grapes from choice sites have been assembled into Bin 3000, achieving a vibrant plummy wine with luxurious mouthfeel and gentle tannins.

$1499each $179DOZEN EACH DOZEN McGuigan Simeon Wines, being Australia's third biggest listed winemaker, retains an impressive inventory of prestigious vineyards. To ensure quality of fruit is consistent for Bin 3000, winemakers spend a considerable amount of time amongst the vines. Grapes are sourced from various irrigated and dry land vineyards, harvested at optimum flavour ripeness throughout the cool of night. The must is vinified for several days at moderate temperatures. After primary fermentation, the grapes are pressed then clarified before being inoculated with malolactic bacteria. Once this secondary fermentation is complete the wine is assembled and matured in oak barrels prior to finishing, filtration and bottling.

Plum colour with a deep red hue. Mocha and caramel aromas over a bouquet of raspberry jam, dark cherry and complex fruits of the forest. Rounded vanilla and caramel palate is balanced by intense fruit flavours of raspberry, cherry and ripe plum. A great accompaniment to dishes such as lamb sausages and roast duck legs. A fully balanced wine, the subtle oak flavours integrate perfectly with the lifted raspberry and persistent dark ripe plum fruit flavours. The rich and rounded palate has good depth and intensity of flavour. Bin 3000 delivers a solidly structured red wine with a well rounded finish to be enjoyed now alongsde lamb or lasagna, succulent roasts or runny, washed rind cheese.

After several decades of crafting Australia's most memorable vintages, Mike Press is more sanguine than ever that great wine can only come from the finest vineyards. His dedicated hands on approach means that he is personally involved in every stage of the winemaking, from pruning the vines and inspecting grapes, right to plunging the ferments and bottling his finished wine. An apprentice of the great Max Schubert, Mike Press made history in 2006 for coming within a whisper of the Jimmy Watson Trophy with an unlabelled cleanskin wine.

$1599each $191DOZEN EACH DOZEN The superlative Mike Press homestead vineyard at Lobethal was chosen for its cool climate and propitious altitude of 500 metres, a rainfall, terroir and clime not dissimilar to Bordeaux, it yields extraordinary harvests of Merlot. Parcels are treated to a traditional maceration and vinification, followed by transfer to a selection of French and American oak hogsheads for a judicious term of maturation.

Bright scarlet hues. Plum and bramble nose, supple baking spice, cassis and varietal leaf. The palate is drenched with berries, blackberry, raspberry and strawberries, seasoned by dusty spice, a round luscious mouthfeel, cossetted by supple carob oak and supported by pliant licorice tannins. Drinking amazingly upon release, will evolve marvelous seamlessness and complexity over time.

The sublime splendour of Clare Valley Merlot, redolent with perfumes of blueberries, ribena and mint. It's all about the excellence of fruit, crushed and destemmed, the cool picked bunches are macerated for a week, before being treated to a long, languid ferment. Pumpovers and optimally timed extractions are followed by malolactic and fill to a selection of well seasoned French oaks for eighteen months age. Ripe dark cherries on the fully fragrant bouquet, blueberries and plum underpin spice notes and anise, licorice, carob and a whisp of shaved cedar oak.

$2399each $287DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Merlot for seductive softness and early drinking appeal, the harvest of vines along Long Gully Rd, treated to the richness of barrel ferments and a tender term of age in a selection of seasoned and new, French and American oak. Deep red in colour, redolent of freshly picked berries and piquant anise spice, layered with punnets of red and black currants, the ripeness of fleshy plums, milk coffee, carob and cassis, a youthful Merlot style, supported by a seamless structure of fine silky tannins and aromatic cedar oak, McLaren Vale in a chocolate box.

$2899each $347DOZEN EACH DOZEN

$1999each $237DOZEN EACH DOZEN