2020 Hickinbotham The Revivalist Merlot, Clarendon, McLaren Vale, SA
$85.00
8 out of 10 CORKSCREWS
The Wined Up Review – This is a STUNNING Australian Merlot
The 2020 Hickinbotham Revivalist Merlot is a beautifully made wine praised for its stunning fruit concentration, silky texture, and intoxicating aromatics. It has rich, dessert-like notes of vanilla cream, macerated strawberries, and thickened cream, balanced by a subtle herbal greenness and elegant structure.
The tannins are softer, as they should be in a Merlot, with the wine delivering great length and complexity, making it both approachable for newcomers and rewarding for experienced drinkers. Its smoothness earns comparisons to “George Clooney” for its effortless charm, while the flavor depth made it a wine “you’d happily drink any night of the week.”
The panel agreed it was a well-crafted, sophisticated Merlot that challenges why the variety doesn’t get more love in Australia—especially when done this well.
Merlot Needs More Love from Consumers!
Hickinbotham Vineyard, established in 1971, is a prestigious site located in Clarendon, on the northern edge of McLaren Vale, South Australia. Known for producing high-caliber fruit, its grapes have historically been sourced by some of Australia’s finest, including Penfolds and Clarendon Hills—with some fruit even rumored to contribute to Penfolds Grange.
The vineyard’s current winemaking team reflects its global reach and prestige:
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Chris Carpenter, an acclaimed U.S. winemaker, splits his time between California and McLaren Vale, bringing a transcontinental perspective to the craft.
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Peter Fraser, the celebrated winemaker and GM at Yangarra Estate, known for his skillful work with Rhône varietals, is also involved. Their collaboration ensures that Hickinbotham wines marry old-vine character with modern precision.
M.S. Cellars Tasting Notes
The Revivalist shows aromas of black cherry, chocolate and bay leaf. On the palate, there are flavours of blackberries and toasted oak and a lush mouthfeel. Structured and balanced, there are fine abundant tannins.
The Merlot fruit is sourced from Hickinbotham’s 200 Block and Block 103, and the Petit Verdot is sourced from Hickinbotham’s Block105. The fruit is hand-picked, destemmed and whole-berry sorted then gently crushed. Cold soaked, native fermented and pumped over daily with a minimum 21 days on skins. Basket pressed with light pressing included in free-run and drained directly to barrel. It is then racked and returned three times during maturation for 15 months, before being aged in fine-grain Bordeaux coopered barrels of which approximately 50% are new.
| Varietal | Merlot |
|---|---|
| Region | Clarendon |
| Country | Australia |
| Corkscrew Rating | 8 out of 10 |
