2015 Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard The Revivalist Merlot

95 POINTS

Jane Faulkner - Halliday's Wine Companion

While this has structure, depth and a certain power, it's also finely crafted and elegant. Excellent colour, savoury yet a whisper of florals and dark fruit, cassis among the oak spice, dried herbs and black olives. Fuller bodied and expansive tannins with an appealing Amaro like finish. Not quite tamed, only time can do that.

93 POINTS

Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front

The vines were planted in 1976 and 1989. The grapes were left on skins for three weeks. It was basket pressed before going into French oak (Bordeaux coopered) for 15 months. It’s a substantial red wine by any measure. Bold berried fruit, bold coffeed oak, bold tannin. It feels integrated, supple and creamy – elegant even – but there’s no missing the weight of flavour, and texture. This isn’t your average Australian merlot. It’s good now but there’s a lot in the tank for the future.

92 POINTS

Huon Hooke - The Real Review

Deep red colour with a tinge of purple, the bouquet smoky, oaky and savoury, the classy oak adding an aromatic floral lift. The wine is elegant in the mouth, medium-bodied and with the lighter tannins slightly firm on the after-palate. Bucket loads of raspberries. A delicious merlot. (100% merlot. 473 cases)