Geoff Merrill Henley Shiraz 2009

97 POINTS

Sam Kim - Wine Orbit

Gracefully opulent and immensely complex, the wine shows dark fruit richness, cake spice, dark chocolate and cedary oak characters on the nose, leading to a powerfully expressed palate offering plush texture and multi-layered mouthfeel. Mouthfilling and gloriously opulent with a superbly long, seamless finish.

97 POINTS

Ken Gargett - Winepilot

The jewel in the Merrill crown, an aged McLaren Vale Shiraz which spent 38 months in a mix of new American and French hogsheads. According to the information, this is also named after Merrill’s grandfather who lived to 102 (did both grandfathers make that venerable age or did one have a couple of aliases? No matter). Only 285 dozen were made, from the seven selected barrels. The colour is inky dark. This is a mature and complex wine, though it is in no hurry to reach the end of its life. Enjoy this at any time over the next ten to twenty years as there is still primary fruit to be found. Rich chocolate notes, cigar box and tobacco leaves (not quite the same thing), with blackberries and leather – such an alluring nose. The palate is utterly seamless and the finish is incredibly long with fine, ever-so-silky tannins. The chocolate notes really emerge on the palate and the balance throughout is immaculate. For cricket fans, crack open a bottle when you are sitting late into the night to watch the forthcoming Ashes series and keep an eye out for Geoff in the crowd. You are almost certain to see the famous moustached winemaker at some stage (and yes, Merv Hughes got the idea from Geoff – or so goes the story).

95 POINTS

Ned Goodwin - Halliday Wine Companion

A cuvee assembled across an abstemious barrel selection process, resulting in a prized seven barrel allotment before blending and further maturation for 38 months in French oak. This is the zenith of the range, as reflected by the price. A bit of a sledgehammer with its sheen of molten dark fruits, pummelling degree of extract and heady oak veneer, the wine embodies a rich regional style that is poised between expressions of yore and the fresher styles of today. Its parts are, nevertheless in harmony. It will age well.

93 POINTS

Jeni Port - Winepilot

Once, we regularly saw aged Australian reds being released. Now, not so regular and they stand out. I would argue that Henley ’09 would have stood out as a youngster and that further time in bottle has only improved its good looks, its class. Henley saw 36 months in French oak according to the back label. I braced myself for a full-on oak attack. What I tasted was a plush, gentle unfolding of a McLaren Vale Shiraz with the kind of poise and confidence that comes with age. The generous fruit-oak relationship plays out before you in dark fruits, blueberry, plum, cinnamon, earth and cedar. Henley builds on that base with some savoury, pan forte notes, liqueur cherry and earth. It’s complex and quite the opposite of what you might expect from a hot year such as 2009 in the Vale. The viticulturist who grew the fruit should be proud. Boasts good length too as the flavours go on and on. And there’s more time ahead should you choose to cellar further.