2008 Geoff Merrill Henley Shiraz

95 POINTS

James Halliday - Halliday's Wine Companion

One of the first to adopt a big, heavy bottle with silk screen printing. Matured for 35 months in French oak, bottled Aug '11, released Jun '17, 230 dozen made. All the components have come together in a savoury, earthy wine well into its secondary phase of development, but with unlimited ability to age gracefully.

93 POINTS

Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front

Geoff Merrill’s Henley Shiraz has had an asking price of $150 for a very long time but with this vintage, the price rises to $170. It’s a super-premium that, in Australia at least, has never really managed to fire, or capture imagination. This 2008 will be released in June 2017. 230 dozen produced. This release is oak heavy, as is the Merrill Henley way, but it’s managed in a pretty seductive manner. It’s all choc mint and (saturated) plum and feels syrupy and smooth-skinned throughout. Indeed the oak here provides such a satiny veneer to the wine that it almost feels as though the fruit is wearing a prophylactic. Tannin is fine-grained and assertive but in an entirely integrated way; fruit still feels primary though it’s just starting to mellow. For all its lumbering mass I’d reckon this is one of the better Henleys. If you’ve enjoyed any of the previous releases, or generally enjoy the big oak-and-fruit style, then you will definitely enjoy this 2008.