Elderton Barossa Merlot 2024

This comes from a small block within the home vineyard at Nuriootpa in the Barossa Valley. It’s a juicy medium-bodied style with lovely supple fruit characters evident and lifted spices that dominate on the nose. The palate is loaded with a combination of succulent cherry-ripe and black fruit notes, but there’s a lift of light leaf and spice. This is largely second-use French oak, so the oak is subtle and understated, sitting neatly within the smoothly defined fruity profile. A wine that’s best in the reasonably short term, but a little extra time in cellar certainly wouldn’t harm it.