2018 Hickinbotham Merlot ‘Revivalist’ McClaren Vale

JH97 The perfume, the nuance, the power. This takes the merlot grape and knocks it out of the park. It’s ripped with both fruit flavour and tannin, it’s smoked with an appropriate level of oak, and it feels authoritative through the finish. In short, it’s a pearler. Drink by 2033.
WA93 Cedar and vanilla notes—the wine aged in 50% to 60% new French oak—mark the nose of Hickinbotham’s 2018 The Revivalist Merlot. It’s round and plush, with black cherries and cola wrapped in a velvety blanket of dried spices, mint and mocha on the full-bodied palate. Rich and creamy in style, it’s a lovely example of Merlot from an unexpected source.
Estate Notes: Great Merlot is as elusive as it is seductive and when selecting parcels for The Revivalist we seek to craft a full expression of the variety. From the violet and red flower perfume to the soulful earthy aromas, ebulliently ripe fresh plum fruit flavors and suave fleshy tannins, we carefully layer this wine to a complex yet seamless style. The resounding freshness and lively acid structure ensures this wine is a lively, energetic and mouth-filling expression of Merlot. 96% Merlot 4% Petit Verdot.