Merlot
If Merlot isn’t the most famous red, it is the most international. Legendary Merlots command top dollar but even the cheapest are reliably approachable and plummy. Not always as complex as its equally famous cousin Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot’s trump is ripening early - making drinkable wines in any climate. Hot climates like America allow hedonistically (over)ripe, jammy Merlots with deep colour and soft tannins, while moderate to cool climates like New Zealand produce Merlots with plush fruit but more helpful acid freshness. In its homeland of Bordeaux, Merlot often blends plumpness into more tannic Cabernet, though in Bordeaux’s legendary left bank wines, where Merlot dominates, it is picked not-too-late to preserve the acid and tannin structure for aging.
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2018 Thomas Goss McLaren Vale MerlotSam KimA full-flavoured Merlot from McLaren Vale legend, Thomas Goss. This fruit comes from vineyards on the original Goss property, where the moderate climate of the McLaren Vale has produced a lovely ... read moreElsewhere up to $20.99 Save $4.00 $16.99 in mixed 6+ or $18.99 per bottle
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2021 Squawking Magpie Gimblett Gravels Chatterer Merlot MalbecBob Campbell MWThe delicious red was Bob Campbell's Top Value & Buy of the Week in October 2023 scoring it a massive 93/100- a huge result for a wine of this price. (Bobs 'price benchmark' for Merlot blends ... read more$23.99 in mixed 6+ or $26.99 per bottle
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2021 Zaria Merlot Cabernet FrancCameron Douglas MSA classy red from an accomplished Hawkes Bay winemaker. Zaria is the personal label of Bryce Edwards, whose gorgeous and great value wines many of us have experienced from his day job as ... read more$26.99 in mixed 6+ or $29.99 per bottle
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2019 Squawking Magpie The Gravels Merlot CabernetRichard CaroA rich and complex Bordeaux-style red from Hawkes Bay. Such great results come from Squawking Magpie's increasingly old vines on the Gimblett Gravels, which produce a red of serious depth and ... read more$29.99 in mixed 6+ or $33.99 per bottle
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2022 Boneline Pink Noise RoseCameron Douglas MSA new Rose from a stylish Waipara producer. The Pink Noise has a softly dry palate that is one of the finest in the Rose genre this summer, made from mostly Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir. Very ... read more$33.99 in mixed 6+ or $37.99 per bottle
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2021 Saintayme Saint-Emilion En PrimeurDecanterEn Primeur product: order now for arrival mid 2024. A plump and rich Merlot from Saint Emilion, this wine offers serious aging potential for the price. Quality vineyards have ... read more$39.99 per bottle
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2021 Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels MerlotBob Campbell MWThis Merlot shows why Craggy Range are so classy. The hot and dry Gimblett Gravels is probably the best spot in NZ for this variety, but instead of making an over-rich style they follow Bordeaux ... read more$36.99 in mixed 6+ or $40.99 per bottle
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2021 La Chenade Lalande de Pomerol En PrimeurJames SucklingEn Primeur product: order now for arrival mid 2024. A staff and customer favourite, La Chenade is a flowing and juicy Bordeaux for a modest price. Mostly Merlot from sandier ... read more$44.99 per bottle
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2022 Saintayme Saint-Emilion En PrimeurJames SucklingEn Primeur product: order now for arrival mid 2025. A plump and rich Merlot from Saint Emilion, this wine offers serious aging potential for the price. Quality vineyards have ... read more$45.00 per bottle
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2020 Saintayme Saint-EmilionJames SucklingA plump and rich Merlot from Saint Emilion, this wine offers serious aging potential for the price. Quality vineyards have been spotted and purchased by the owner of the Pomerol legend, Chateau ... read more$44.99 in mixed 6+ or $49.99 per bottle