Product Information:
“Henley is a strict barrel selection of our best of vintage McLaren Vale Shiraz and is named in honour of my Grandfather, who passed away at the ripe old age of 102. This wine is the best of the best of our McLaren Vale Shiraz and only a maximum of 10 barrels of the vintage are set aside for Henley.” – Geoff Merrill
After approximately 15 months in oak, and a sensory evaluation of each barrel from the vintage to determine which ones make the Henley grade. Once the barrels are determined, the blend is carefully made in the cellar and refilled into the very best French oak barrels for further maturation. Only 230 dozen produced.
The colour is deep mahogany with brick red hues with aromas of coffee, leather and chocolate then revealing black olive tapenade and spiced savoury meats. The palate has a very tight line of acidity keeping it together for the long run. There are wonderfully complex flavours present, and yet to come from this wine of great depth and life.
Maker:
In 1980, Geoff Merrill and business partner Trevor Stratton, established Stratmer Vineyards, parent company of Geoff Merrill, Owens Estate and Mount Hurtle Wines. In the early years, Geoff Merrill wines were crafted at various locations across the South Australian wine regions, including Chateau Reynella and Pirramimma in McLaren Vale, and Peter Lehmann Wines in the Barossa Valley. A modern processing plant was established at McLaren Flat in 1994 in a joint venture with fellow winemaker, Goe DiFabio, which centralised the production of Geoff Merrill wines and allowed greater control over the winemaking process. Trevor Stratton eventually sold his share of Stratmer Vineyards in 1992 to Alister Purbrick of Chateau Tahbilk, who remained a 50% partner until 2007. Geoff is now the sole owner of the company and continues to develop and produce exceptional wines.
Geoff Merrill was raised on a sheep station in the far north of South Australia, until his family moved to the Barossa Valley in 1964 when Geoff was just 11 years old. Unsurprisingly, this is where Geoff’s links with the wine industry were first forged. At age 17, Geoff joined B Seppelt & Son where he embarked on a 4 year winemaking traineeship. Following this, he was lured to South Africa in 1974 with the opportunity to work as an Experimental Winemaker with Stellenbosch Farmers Winery, after which he set off to explore Europe. Returning to Australia in late 1975, Geoff joined Chateau Reynella as Assistant Winemaker and was promoted to Senior Winemaker just 2 years later. He held this position until 1985 when he became a Consultant Winemaker for Thomas Hardy & Sons, who bought Chateau Reynella in 1982. The "Geoff Merrill" Label While working at Chateau Reynella, Geoff began to make wines under his own “Geoff Merrill” label; his first release in 1983 included a 1980 Cabernet and 1981 Semillon. With a view to establishing his own operation, Geoff purchased the beautiful, but run-down Mount Hurtle Winery in 1985 and, after restoring the property to its full potential, Geoff left Hardy’s in 1988 to embark on his own venture. From there on, Geoff Merrill has achieved significant success at home and internationally. His elegant, subtle wines have culminated in major trophy wins including the coveted Jimmy Watson and The Wine Society Trophy. Geoff’s commitment to releasing wines to be enjoyed at the table has never wavered.
Vineyard:
Geoff Merrill Wines has vineyards in two of Australia’s classic viticultural regions: “Pimpala Vineyard” and “Wickham Downs” in McLaren Vale and “Graymoor” in the Coonawarra. Individual growing conditions at each site provide an exciting opportunity to highlight the very best of what each region has to offer by skilfully blending single varietals such as McLaren Vale Shiraz and Coonawarra Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon for superb results.
The 2008 vintage will be remembered for a heatwave and the challenges associated with it. Early indications pointed towards it being one of the great vintages with moderate winter rainfall followed by warmer than average temperatures in spring helping fuel rapid shoot growth. Rainfall in late December and January topped up soil moisture to retain canopy health. The heatwave interrupted perfect vintage conditions, causing the most condensed harvest in the region’s history. While there were challenges, overall 2008 was considered a great year for quality.
Nose - Coffee Beans, Leather, Tapenade
Aromas of coffee, leather and chocolate then revealing black olive tapenade and spiced savoury meats.
Palate - Choc Mint, Saturated Plum, Satiny
A big nose of dark fruits with savoury meaty tones that carry through onto the palate.
Finish - Fine Grained, Savoury, Cedar Spice
Great length and well framed by a tannin profile that will carry it for years to come
Deep ruby core, fading to a slightly brown tint at the rim. A big nose of dark fruits with savoury meaty tones that carry through onto the palate. A big wine that is at the peak of its maturity as it shows that lovely balance of savoury development with a still bright and concentrated fruit core. Great length and well framed by a tannin profile that will carry it for years to come. - Stuart Knox, The Real Review, 95 Points.
This release is oak heavy, as is the Merrill Henley way, but it’s managed in a pretty seductive manner. It’s all choc mint and (saturated) plum and feels syrupy and smooth-skinned throughout. Indeed the oak here provides such a satiny veneer to the wine that it almost feels as though the fruit is wearing a prophylactic. Tannin is fine-grained and assertive but in an entirely integrated way; fruit still feels primary though it’s just starting to mellow. For all its lumbering mass I’d reckon this is one of the better Henleys. If you’ve enjoyed any of the previous releases, or generally enjoy the big oak-and-fruit style, then you will definitely enjoy this 2008. - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front, 93 Points.
The Finer Details
Varietal - Red Wine
Style - Shiraz
Country - Australia
Region - McLaren Vale, South Australia
Vintage - 2008
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 14.5%
