Geoff Merrill Pimpala Vineyards Shiraz 2016
- Rich, full-bodied
- McLaren Vale
Not to be confused with Geoff Merrill’s ‘Pimpala Road’ range, these Pimpala Vineyard wines are careful barrel selections from his reserve range. This has spent no less than 20 months in French and American oak barrels, plus over three years in the cellar to let all its powerful fruit and decadent oak flavour all meld together. It’s roughly a 2:1 Coonawarra:McLaren Vale blend - Coonawarra class, with ramped up richness from the Vale’s contribution. It’s like liquid black chocolate cake, with the Vale’s dark chocolate and heady spice flavours oozing head-on into dark cherry, blackcurrant leaf and roasted coconut. It’s on the fuller side of medium-bodied, with classic cabernet scaffolding fleshed out and as smooth as can be.
Profile
Reviews
Wine Orbit
“Superbly fruited and composed, the wine shows blackberry, clove, spicy oak, tapenade and dark cocoa notes, followed by an impressively weighted palate offering plush mouthfeel and silky tannins. Opulent and flavoursome with a prolonged velvety finish. 5 stars.”
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Specs
- Region
- McLaren Vale
- Vintage
- 2016
- Cellaring
- 2030
- Preservatives
- ―
- Alcohol by Vol.
- 14.5%
- Closure
- Screwcap
- Bottle Vol
- 750mL
- Blend Info
- ―
- Serving Temp.
- 14.0°C
Region
McLaren Vale
McLaren Vale is a region that lives in the shadow of the hype of the Barossa. While it has played on Shiraz as its drawcard, and continues to battle (quite rightly) with the supreme power of the Barossa, perhaps the most exciting wines from this region are its old vine Grenache and Mataro (Mourvedre/Monastrell - whatever you want to call it), and its more recent foray into Spanish and Italian varietals. Both the sun's warmth and the reliable salty afternoon gully breeze make the climate closer to Mediterranean than many other Aussie regions, and some of the Fiano, Vermentino, Tempranillo and Sangiovese from here are sublime (to name only a few). Awareness, proper consideration and sense of place are key attributes to the region's success, and its recent win against urbanisation reinforces the value of the viticultural region.