Print this Wine         1996 Elderton Merlot   NURIOOTPA, BAROSSA VALLEY                 January Release   Merlot       Merlot has not yet made the same impact as a single varietal wine in Australia as it has done so in the United States. For no apparent reason. The nature of Merlot with its attractive forward fruit flavors and comparatively soft finish would seem to make it an ideal wine suited to the Australian lifestyle and dining demands. It will happen in time and with wines like this Elderton, the public will warm to the variety sooner rather later. In the meantime this wine can be slipped out of Australia and offered to you, so enjoy it. The wine’s aromas are a delightful mixture of plummy fruit and sweet vanilla from high toast new oak barrels. This is a great combination with the fruit’s lifted character being highlighted by the oak flavors creating a very aromatic style of wine, almost perfume like. On the palate the flavors are a little more down to earth, in fact there is an earthy character which is a good sign of quality Merlot fruit. There is still plenty of plum flavors though. Over the top of these flavors is a spicy overtone as well, making this a complex and very serious wine. There is sufficient back palate structure with some acid but firm and finely grained tannin to suggest that this wine will age particularly well. Given the fact that the wine is a relatively new, but certainly welcome addition to the Elderton range, it is only guesswork to estimate an optimum drinking period. However hazarding a guess, about 5 to 7 years should be the right amount of time. The rather exotic collection of flavors in this wine make it a candidate for game, where these flavors can intermingle with mushrooms, pungent herbs and spices that are usually served alongside meats such as boar or hare. The combination of a strongly flavored hare pie with this fine Merlot would be simply delectable.

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