Today I am tasting the 2007 Gumdale Merlot by Wakley Vintners from Southeastern Australia. Merlot is a great varietal of grape that is used to make some of the world’s best wines; especially in the blends from Bordeaux. This value wine (under $7) is cleanly packaged and has a plastic cork. I dislike real cork, do you? Now if they could just start using screw tops that would be even better.
Color
This wine has a beautiful dark purple color to it. Very nice for a merlot. Very promising because it isn’t thin.
Aroma
It has a tight nose. There is some chocolate and tobacco scents present. There is a tiny bit of oak showing also.
Flavor
Great fruit on the attack. Plums, blackberries, and cherries are present. The mid palate also is dominated by the dark fruit flavors with a little sour cherries. The finish has some cracked pepper, but really isn’t a strong finish. Overall this is definitely a fruit bomb, but the acid level is high enough to balance it out and it doesn’t come across as being too sweet. For a merlot, it is a tad bit hot (13.5% alcohol) so definitely open it up early. No evidence of tannins, so drink now.
Rating
Overall I think this is a good wine for those who crave lots of fruit. I personally would have liked a merlot with more complex flavors and a smoother mouth feel. I rate it 87 points.
Have you tried the 2007 Gumdale Merlot?
