2008 Whalebone Vineyard Merlot / Merlot Cabernet Franc

Impressive from the get-go. Layers of dark fruits, earth, ferrous savouriness, eucalypt and sage. A formidable wall of fruit is tempered by ropes of dusty tannins, but all set in a medium body, cedary frame. Hold for a spell.

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The 60/40% blend was cold-soaked for four days prior to fermentation commencing, hand-plunged with a peak of 32?C, then macerated for seven days post fermentation; thereafter 20 months in French oak (30% new) before being bottled unfiltered. The colour is …

The 60%/40% blend was cold-soaked for four days prior to fermentation commencing, hand-plunged with a peak of 32°C, then macerated for seven days post fermentation; thereafter 20 months in French oak (30% new) before being bottled unfiltered. The colour is …

The 2008 Whalebone Vineyard Merlot Cabernet Franc remains under cork but it’s a beautiful specimen: long and firm. The wine is a deep, blood red with an intriguing bouquet of plum cake, sweet aromatic spices and a touch of mint. …

Impressive from the get-go. Layers of dark fruits, earth, ferrous savouriness, eucalyp and sage. A formidable wall of fruit is tempered by ropes of dusty tannins, but all set in a medium bodied, cedary frame. Hold for a spell too.…

Another day, another dogma challenging wine. Here though, the question is not about climate challenging varieties (as it was with yesterday’s Domaine A Cabernet), but about regionally challenging blends, featuring two grapes that have been traditionally delegated to mere second

Wrattonbully appears to have a genuine future as a Merlot producing region. The addition of 40% Cabernet Franc adds a good deal of interest as well. The Whalebone Vineyard was planted in 1974 and it’s producing some exciting wines already.

Brian Croser has captured distinctive vineyard and vintage characters while embracing an almost atypically tight and light structure. Displays elegance and style with a slickness you only get from the very finest. Perfume notes emerge, with the new French oak

You don’t see many Australian red blends with Merlot as the dominant grape in the blend that cost this much, but it takes the chutzpah of a Brian Croser to make a wine like this.  It’s from Wrattonbully which is …

The Whalebone Vineyard – great name – in the Wrattonbully region includes 0.8 hectares of cabernet franc and 1 hectare of merlot. These vines were planted in 1974. “After a 30 year struggle the vines have penetrated the deeper limestone …