Silkwood Estate The Bowers Pemberton Merlot 2020

We don’t see a lot of 100% Merlot about, let alone a Merlot that is five years old. Congrats to the Silkwood team on this release, it has carried bottle age well. A savoury, aged character of smoked meats mixes easily with earth, plum, dark cherry and dried herbs. The lift provided by the grape’s signature floral – rose petal – is a lovely touch. Nice flow of fruit and aged characters – a mix of smoked meats – works well on the palate which is edged in sage, anise, dusty cacao and earthy tones. There’s a brightness here with acidity that is almost crunchy, which again belies its age. A touch of cranberry on the finish is a super clean way to finish this well-made Merlot.