2005 Lowe Merlot – Mudgee (Cellar Door)

I don’t trust myself when it comes to wines I buy at a cellar door. If you get talking to the person involved in making the wine, whilst sitting in amongst wine barrels and overlooking an invariably picturesque valley, I think it’s pretty easy to get caught up in the moment and see only the positive in a wine. Having purchased the 2005 Lowe Merlot off the back of such an experience over the Easter long weekend at Lowe Family Wines in Mudgee, I was a bit worried it mightn’t be as good as I'd thought it was when I cracked open a bottle the other night. Happily, in this case, my fears were unfounded.

This wine holds a lot of appeal for me. I like the fact it’s an age-worthy Merlot, I like the fact it tastes like a wine from Mudgee, and perhaps crucially, I love assonance in a wine’s name . . .

It has an interesting nose with aromas of rose, berries, plums and black olives. On the palate it is medium bodied and smooth, with tasty red fruits, chocolate, earth, black olive, and a touch of spice. It finishes with decent length and fine tannins. There’s a bit of complexity here, and it has that nice balance between sweet and savoury flavours that I personally find very appealing. Given where the wine is at, I’d assume it has at least another 5 years in it, at which point I’d reckon it will be an even more enjoyable wine (assuming you like aged wine). Give this wine a good decant first.

Details
Rated:


RRP: $28
ABV: 13.0%
Website: www.lowewine.com


Red