Know your (merlot) rights, all three of them

I was going to start this post by saying that Merlot is a bit like Kyle Sandilands; i.e. it's popular but no one really understands why. However, unlike Kyle, Merlot is not completely without merit. It's a key component in the great Pomerols such as Le Pin and Petrus, and indeed 95% of the vineyards for the latter are purely Merlot. Outside of Bordeaux though Merlot's name gets slightly dirty - not quite Stockbroker dirty - but soiled all the same.

In the New World it tends to be picked slightly riper, which can lead to a more 'easy drinking' style with softer tannins and warm plummy fruit. Nothing wrong with that I hear you say, so what's the rumpus? Well apart from a number of wine writers (read Huon Hooks comments in the 2008 Wine Report as an example) bashing it, here in Australia we're not really had a good history with the variety. I've heard and read comments that we've not got the right clones and/or that we're simply crap at it. Either way, Australia does not make world class and anyone who says different is an idiot, or has been drinking.

Here at The Star we've sampled some OK Australian Merlot, though little that's been truly memorable. The Elderton Barossa Merlot 2005 however was more than a memento. Here's some words to describe it: Plums,blackcurrant, dark cherries, soft tannins, medium to full body, earthy spice, controlled oak, class and elegance. There you go. Take what you like and ignore the rest, we don't mind.

It's rightly garnered universal praise from the Parkers and Walsh's of the world, although this esteemed blogging colleague probably needs a hug. As regular readers will know, here at The Star we're not the Barossa's biggest fans, but since it's Elderton, and we like them for some reason, we'd recommend you go and buy some.

Viva la (merlot) revolution. We'll be back shorty with a report on the Peoples Democratic Republic of Pinot tasting at the very prolateriat Bistro Vue. Be seeing yo.