2021 Mystery Adelaide Hills Merlot Deal No. 5877

95 POINTS

Shanteh Wale - Winepilot

This wine deserves a quiet place and a swirl in a decanter, unlike its Bordeaux siblings, this wine isn’t yelling but speaking softly and with conviction. Plummy with boysenberry and mulberry leaf tones. There are chocolate foundation aromas mixed with coffee, nutmeg and cinnamon dust. It moves with a real sauntering pace that drifts across the palate. It’s juicy and lush with silken tannins. Certainly up there with some of the top Aussie Merlots, perhaps more fruit weighted than oak driven than most, drinking well now and still has 3-5 years to evolve. Serve with a warm pork and udon noodle soup, slurped in peace and quiet.

95 POINTS

Sam Kim - Wine Orbit

It's superbly fruited and enticing on the nose, showing blackcurrant, fennel, tobacco, and cedar characters with a hint of dark cocoa. The concentrated palate exhibits rich fruit intensity with spicy nuances, wonderfully framed by plush texture and beautifully pitched tannins. Gorgeously styled with excellent structure and persistence.

94 POINTS

Sam Kim - Wine Orbit

This is gorgeously expressed on the nose, showing Black Doris plum, blueberry, clove and spicy oak characters, leading to a splendidly flavoursome palate that's filled with juicy fruit intensity. Wonderfully framed by silky texture and polished tannins, making it highly enjoyable.

94 POINTS

Ray Jordan - Winepilot

A delightfully presented medium-bodied Merlot from the cooler climes of the Adelaide Hills. Plenty of black fruits on the nose with a little cedary oak evident. The palate is supple but with a firm tight core controlling through to a sustained finish. There’s a slightly ferrous character that rings further intrigue into the palate. Its slightly savoury minerally finish completes an excellent wine.

Mike Bennie - Halliday Wine Companion

This is a warm, rich and breathy version of merlot, laden with toasty, woody spice, a bit stale and hot in booze-soaked berries, overt ground walnut and resinous nutty characters, a bit sour-sweet in trying to find balance in the heft and overripeness. It misses a beat of the pleasure of fuller-flavoured, plush merlot. Alas, a bit of a miss in that regard.