Merite

Single Vineyard Merlot 2015

• 

  Vintage 2015
  96 points

The vineyard's planting of five merlot clones (including 8R and Q45) is capable of producing very high quality wine. If you want to go nitpicking, the French oak (40% new) is a touch too obvious, but it will almost certainly diminish with age, It raises the question whether 30% new oak might have done an even better job. That said, the '14 had 50%. The mouthfeel, weight and flavours of cassis, plum and herb have a base of exquisite tannins.

• 

  Vintage 2015
  94 points

A great deal of work, thought and application has gone into the merlot vines at Ruckus, in the Wrattonbully region of South Australia. I liked the 2013 version of the estate’s Merite Merlot but would have liked to see more vineyard in the glass, and less cooper. This 2015 has certainly addressed that concern. Bright, juicy, fruit-filled and savoury at once. It’s all laced together with ultra-fine tannin too. We are in pretty classy terrain here. Shaved pencils, black cherries, boysenberries, redcurrant. None of the dreaded mulberry. Flings of earth. It’s super succulent and beautifully balanced. It almost feels like it’s been painted in watercolours too, almost always a good sign, though there’s just a bit more oomph than those words commonly imply. That said, it’s a steadfastly medium-bodied wine, with no pretensions for anything more. Ruckus Estate is fast putting itself on the wine map. Just look at the tannin structure of this wine.