Penley Estate Gryphon Coonawarra Merlot – Magically Good Merlot

100% Merlot from Coonawarra, South Australia.

SRP of $20 and available for as low as $16. Sample received courtesy Old Bridge Cellars for review purposes.

From the bottle:

“THE VISION: Penley Estate crafts super premium wines at our Coonawarra winery from estate grown grapes grown in shallow terra rossa over limestone.

THE NAME: The Gryphon symbolizes strength, intelligence and vigilance. Vigilance in winemaking and viticulture contributes to Penley’s quest for the quintessential Merlot.

THE WINE: A rich and luscious style from estate grown Coonawarra fruit, displaying floral berry characters, mellow French oak. Fuller style with soft tannins. A good foundation for bottle aging. Enjoy 1 to 5 years.

THE WINEMAKER: Experience was earnt, tradition was given, but my wines reflect what I feel. – Kym Tollet

14.5% Alcohol”

Today’s wine is the third we’ve sampled from Penley Estate, and so far we’ve enjoyed these wines quite a bit. All are great examples of the delicious and affordable wines coming out of Australia. The first one we sampled was the 2008 Penley Estate Condor Coonawarra Shiraz Cabernet with its wonderfully spicy finish. After that we tried a 100% Shiraz, the super smooth 2008 Penley Estate Hyland Coonawarra Shiraz. And today we’ve got a Merlot. Let’s see if it can continue the winning streak, shall we?

The 2009 Penley Estate Gryphon Coonawarra Merlot begins with a beautifully complex and inviting aroma of dark ripe fruit, spice, oak, mint and violet. This medium-bodied wine tastes very smooth and delicious with rich berries, a little green pepper and bit of oak. Nice soft tannins and a good body lead into a nicely spicy finish which resolves into more smooth fruit. A really excellent Merlot that is a pleasure to drink!

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.

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