Vignerons Schmölzer & Brown Merlot 2024

From Devonian granite-derived soils in Wooragee. A smart, well-crafted wine, handled deftly to avoid tipping into the over-‘Merlot-y’ space. Plum cake, spiced plum, clove-studded orange and ground nutmeg, with subtle mocha top notes. Delicate and restrained; time in the glass reveals further notes of forest berries. The palate is cool and juicy, with pops of plum preserves, cherry jam and spice before fine-but-firm grainy tannins wrap it up and maintain shape and carry. Subtle mocha-like bitterness lingers through the back palate. A lovely expression of vibrancy and structure.