Jane Faulkner

Halliday Wine Companion 96 Points

A new wine, a gorgeous wine, comprising Stonier fruit plus off the north-facing Gance vineyard, also on Thompsons Lane near the winery. This manages to oscillate between a core of good fruit – all red cherries and blood orange with zest, and lots of savouriness, the baking spices, the smell of joss sticks, the twiggy notes from 20% whole bunches in the fermentation, thus a little autumnal. Nothing overt, it’s well composed, the tannins feathery and lightly textured, the acidity refreshing and it’s a joy to drink.

Campbell Mattinson

The Wine Front 95 Points

Red dirt, red berry, red flowers. The tannin here rolls through the palate, bringing velvety, smoky fruit with it. This wine is both seductively fruited and seductively savoury. It will lay them down in the aisles. It’s from a north-facing site, but at higher elevation. It’s such a complete, well mannered wine but it has so much going on in both its breadth of flavour and in its texture/tannin. I’ve scored it at 95/100 but I was borderline 96.

Shanteh Wale

Wine Pilot 95 Points

The first bottling of Merricks Pinot Noir under Julian Grounds guiding eye. This is a blend of Gance and Stonier vineyards. All MV6, wild yeast with 20% whole bunch and aged in French barriques of which 11% was new. Plenty of rambutan, red cherries and some bilberries. Here the whole bunch of spice takes on a woodier and more rufous toned nature. Some bloody meat and ironstone. Sumac and pink peppercorn. Tannins spread evenly with deliberate saturation, there is also some generosity to its viscosity. It’s a wine for tomato based stews, or slow cooked meats. Drinking well now or will cellar for 6-8 years further easily. This is not a wine you will easily forget, its muscle and staying power worth the price alone.