2010 Sandpiper Merlot
Comments
Medium red in colour. The nose is lifted with attractive spice and mint. The palate is medium weight but full flavoured with sweet plum and cherry fruits. The ripe tannins are typical of Merlot, being soft and slightly chalky and are well integrated. The wine finishes with amazing length of fruit cake and dark chocolate.
Vinification Notes
The grapes are crushed and destemmed into fermenters. Yeast is added immediately once in fermenter and the ferments are pumped over twice daily to maximise colour, tannin and flavour extraction. Cooling is used to ensure ferments remain in the 22-25 degrees Celsius range which will allow the fruit to display maximum fruit expression. Pressing then occurs approximately seven days after crushing and the wine is then put into a mix of French and American oak to mature.
Maturation
12 months in tight grain French and American oak.
Vintage Notes
The 2010 vintage followed good winter rainfall in 2009 and allowed vineyards to commence the 2010 season with good soil moisture levels. This soil moisture, combined with moderate weather conditions throughout most of the growing season allowed for good fruit set and canopy development. In summary an excellent vintage, with very little extreme weather resulting in fantastic colour and flavour in red varietals, and excellent acid and flavour profiles for whites.
Harvested
March 2010
Gold at 2011 Hobart Wine Show
Silver at 2011 Adelaide Wine Show
Silver at 2011 Royal Queensland Wine Show
Bronze at 2012 Decanter World Wine Awards
Bronze at 2011 Barossa Wine Show
Beppi Crosariol, The Globe and Mail, March 2013
88 Points: This is concentrated, succulent merlot with flavours of dark berries, black pepper and licorice. It's sweet on the entry but finds balance in vigorous acidity.
Winestate Barossa & Eden Valley Tasting, March / April 2012 Edition
4*
Winestate Magazine, Wine & Spirit Insider, March/April 2012
Top 40 Best Buy
West Australian, 19th January 2012
93 Points - I guess the quality of this merlot suggests that when you get a great vintage like this one you can actually turn out something pretty good from this variety. Spicy plum and dark chocolate vanilla bean on the nose. The palate is so supple yet with a firm thread of fine tanning and oak in support. This is a substantial statement for merlot and well worth checking out.
James Halliday June 2011
91 Points - As with the 2009, the colour is good, the bouquet expressive and the medium-to full-bodied palate is full of plum and fruitcake flavours. The spine of savoury/spicy tannins provide structure and eliminates the 'sweet and simple' tag that merlots at this price can deliver. Calue plus; drink or cellar for a year or two.
| Region : | Barossa |
|---|---|
| Bottled : | March 2011 |
| Alcohol : | 14.5 |