1994 Irvine Grand Merlot

Notes sourced from Irvine Wines.

This wine is probably Australia's best Merlot and is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the World's Best Merlots. Last year the 1993 was judged as such at Bad Ragaz, Switzerland beating the likes of Petrus, Antinori and Mondavi just to mention a few.The fruit for this wine is not picked until very late in the season when the baume reaches 14 degrees or better. The picking takes place around midday to avoid any possibility of dew pick-up and to ensure the crushed grapes are warm to start the ferment quickly.The wine was matured in oak for 3 years and then received a further 12 months bottle age. The nose has a little more intensity than the 1993 vintage with more plummy and spicy oak aromas. The palate is also much more fruit driven than the 1993 with plenty of plum, cherry and spicy oak characters. It has a firm backbone yet still retains its soft dry finish. This wine will age slowly and reveal most of its considerable fruit depth over a long period, while lifting the intensity of the overall nose. A very complex, elegant wine capable of cellaring for 15 years.