Wakefield Estate
Wakefield Estate
Merlot 2009
| Region: | Clare Valley |
Ripe berry, rich fruitcake flavours and soft, velvety tannins. French and American oak impart dark chocolate, coffee bean and vanilla characters.
Download Full Winemaker Note
At release, the wine is a deep red with an intense purple hue.
Wine Bouquet
At release, distinct aromas of Japanese Satsuma plum and ripe cherries abound with secondary spice, cigar box characters are evident along with subtle creamy chocolate.
Wine Palate
At release, this wine is medium to full-bodied with rich plum and cherry fruit characters. The fruit flavours are balanced by undertones of creamy chocolate, spice and subtle savoury characters. The palate has a desirable, almost brioche texture with grainy tannins through the mid-palate and a long, persistence to the finish.
Cellaring Notes
This wine can be enjoyed upon release but will reward careful cellaring up to and possibly beyond 2016.
| Acidity: | 6.26 g/L |
| Alcohol Percent: | 14.1% |
| PH: | 3.41 |
| Region: | Clare Valley |
| Residual Sugar: | 1.09 g/L |
Baked Figs
Food type: Desserts, Fruit, Vegetarian
Delicious, sweet figs absorb flavours like citrus, mascarpone and rich red wine, as they bake in a ...
Baked Pork with Chilli
Food type: Pork
Chilli, lemon and sea salt breathe new life into the classic pork baked dinner. Complement the mild ...
Easy Beef Lasagne
Food type: Beef, Italian, Pasta
Try this delicious meal which is great for feeding a group of friends or your family. Otherwise you ...
Kangaroo Meatballs with Garlic and Basil Tomato sauce
Food type: Duck/Game, Italian, Pasta
Enjoy this simple, quick and very flavoursome dish of Kangaroo meatballs in a rich tomato basil ...
Lamb Curry
Food type: Curry, Lamb
This curry is delicious but like most curries can be a wine killer. Red wine works best especially ...
Medicinal minestrone
Food type: Soups, Vegetarian
This Italian soup gets its name because it has a soothing almost medicinal quality - just the smell ...
Minestrone Soup Italiano
Food type: Italian, Soups, Vegetarian
Enjoy an authentic Italian minestrone soup on a cold winter's evening. Vegetables, pasta and ...
Poached Pears in Red Wine
Food type: Desserts
Soft, draw in the flavours of vanilla, lemon and two kinds of wine. By Chef David Tsirekas
Roast Turkey
Food type: Turkey
Give a special touch to a special dinner with this modern take on roast turkey.
Roast Turkey with potatoes, apple stuffing & apple sauce
Food type: Turkey
For a twist on classic Christmas lunch, serve roast Turkey with a potato and apple stuffing and ...
Sahib's Beef Vindaloo
Food type: Beef, Curry, Indian
This Portuguese-derived Indian curry is one of the spiciest around and a favourite of many an ...
Spanish Lamb with Rosemary
Food type: Lamb, Spanish
Delicious Spanish lamb with a complex array of herbs, along with garlic, olive oil and white wine. ...
Thai BBQ Chicken
Food type: Chicken, East Asian
Here’s a method of cooking chicken legs that is harder to ruin than it is to cook. Because of the ...
Traditional Irish Stew
Food type: Beef, Soups
A hearty, winter warmer. Full of hearty beef and nourishing vegetables.
Vegetarian (Eggplant) Lasagne
Food type: Italian, Pasta, Vegetarian
Try our eggplant lasagne, a wonderful vegetarian dish, that even the most fervent carnivore will ...
| Range | Variety | Vintage | Show Name | Year | Class | Award |
| Wakefield Estate | Merlot | 2009 | Japan Wine Challenge | 2011 | Silver | |
| Wakefield Estate | Merlot | 2009 | International Wine & Spirit Competition | 2011 | Silver | |
| Wakefield Estate | Merlot | 2009 | International Wine Challenge | 2011 | Silver | |
| Wakefield Estate | Merlot | 2009 | New Zealand International Wine Show | 2011 | 16a | Silver |
| Wakefield Estate | Merlot | 2009 | Royal Hobart Wine Show | 2011 | 65 | Silver |
| Wakefield Estate | Merlot | 2009 | Decanter World Wine Awards | 2011 | Silver | |
| Wakefield Estate | Merlot | 2009 | Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Comp | 2011 | Silver |
Reviews for 0
Wine Will Eat Itself
Wakefield Estate Merlot 2009Jeremy Pringle, Wine Miles, April 2011
Wine Will Eat Itself
These 2009 'Estate' reds from Wakefield are workman like 'punter' wines and at their often discounted price I'm fairly sure they'll find an audience. The Merlot lacks any real sense of excitement but it's generously flavoured and well made in its style. It's all about plum jam and drinking chocolate with red berry highlights. Tobacco and vanilla coffee oak come along for the ride. Sweet fruited and simple with a creamy mid-palate and grainy tannin. Not too big or heavy in the mouth either...which is pleasing to see.Top Five Winter Tipples
Wakefield Estate Merlot 2009Voyeur, June 2011
Top Five Winter Tipples
Merlot is still struggling to recover its popularity, but this wine will certainly help the cause. Hints of cherry and chocolate with a plum colour make it a delightful medium-bodied quaffer.
Wakefield Estate Merlot 20094 starsWinestate, June 2011
Rich, well-structured wine with a lovely combination of rhubarb, mulberry, earthy and spicy elements, soft, furry tannins and nice oak.
Wakefield Estate Merlot 200989/100James Halliday, 1002 Wines Under $20, November 2011
The conundrum of the Clare Valley's antipathy to chardonnay is the opposite of it's relationship with merlot, a variety that normally flourishes in a cool maritime climate. But it doen't stop there, for this wine raises the eternal question: Who art merlot and what is she? Full colour, rich berry and fruitcake flavours, and no shortage of tannins of French and American oak, all add up to a wine with attitude. It's not going to worry the right bank of Bordeaux (Pomerol and St Emilion) because they wouldn't even recognise it as merlot.Top Aussie Red
Wakefield Estate Merlot 200989 pointsHuon Hooke, Northern Daily Leader, December 2011
Top Aussie Red
Deep red-purple colour leads into a bouquet of blackberry, liquorice and charred oak, with a slight but acceptable pony hint. Generous flavour, sweetly ripe fruit to the fore, finishing with light but evident tannins that are well balanced and shaped. Soft, rich and satisfying. Now to five years.Best Wines of 2011
Wakefield Estate Merlot 20094 starsWinestate, January 2012
Best Wines of 2011
Intence charry oak and spicy mocha characters on the nose, and vibrant berry palate with peppery elements and soft tannins.Cellar Talk
Wakefield Estate Merlot 200989/100Huon Hooke, Sydney Morning Herald, January 2012
Cellar Talk
Deeply coloured and youthful, this merlot offers a lot for a modest outlay, with blackberry, liquorice and char-oak aromas, a hint of charcuterie and also a little portiness. Stacks of sweetly ripe fruit, and the tannins are light but evident and nicely supple.
Wakefield Estate Merlot 200989/100News Weekly, February 2012
Deeply coloured and youthful, this merlot offers alot for a modest outlay, with blackberry, liquorice and charoak aromas, a hint of charcuterie and also a little portiness. Stacks of sweetly ripe fruit, and the tannins are light but evident and nicely supple.