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 Hollick
Neilson's Block Merlot 2000
Coonawarra, Australia
Winemaker: Ian Hollick
& David Norman
Hollick Neilson's Block Merlot
2000: Description
The
2000 Neilson's Block Merlot has a lively medium red colour with purple hues at
the rim. It will develop brick red colours with cellaring. The wine has opulent
aromas of violets, red cherries and black olives. Integrated chocolatey French
oak permeates the pure fruit aromas. Medium bodied, the palate is vibrant and
refined, distinguished by concentrated Merlot varietal flavours. Blackcurrant
and cherry fruit flavours are underpinned by fine silky tannins and soicy oak
notes which contribute length and structure.
Hollick Neilson's Block Merlot 2000: Information
Hollick Neilson's Block Merlot is
made from a selection of the best fruit from the mature high density vineyard
named after noted Australian lyric poet John Shaw Neilson.
Neilson's
Block is located adjacent to the Hollick Winery at the cool southern end of
Coonawarra on the famed terra rossa strip. The long cool growing season that
has established Coonawarra as the pre-eminent region for Cabernet Sauvignon is
also ideally suited to producing exceptional Merlot.
Neilson's Block
Merlot completes the trio of black label icon wines from Hollick. In the
tradition of the Hollick Ravenswood Cabernet Sauvignon and the Wilgha Shiraz,
the Neilson's Block Merlot will only be released in exceptional years. Merlot
is one variety where the adage "the older the vine, the better the wine"
certainly holds true.
Hollick Neilson's Block Merlot
2000: Background
The Hollick
Winery is flanked by the Neilson's Block at the cool southern end of
Coonawarra's famed terra rossa strip. The 2000 Neilson's Block Merlot is made
from a selection of the best fruit from this mature high-density vineyard. The
long, cool and dry growing season that has established Coonawarra as the
pre-eminent region in Australia for Cabernet Sauvignon is also ideally suited
to producing Merlot of exceptional varietal purity and depth of
flavour.
Fruit for the 2000 Neilson's Block Merlot was selected from low
yielding vines planted in 1985, from the parts of the vineyard where the terra
rossa soil is very shallow.
Hollick Neilson's Block
Merlot 2000: The
winemaking
Once in the winery the utmost care is taken to
preserve the fruit flavoours developed in the vineyard. Towards the completion
of fermentation the wine was transferred to new Seguin Moreay French oak
barriques to complete fermentation in wood. A further 18 months maturation in
these same barriques completed the winemaking process. Proir to bottling each
barrel was critically assessed by the Hollick winemaking team to enure that
this wine is truly the' expression of Coonawarra'.
Hollick Neilson's Block Merlot 2000: Food matching
A great match with light meat
dishes such as milk fed veal or a saddle of rabbit.
Hollick Neilson's Block Merlot 2000: Maturation
Eminently approachable now, this
wine will reward cellaring for 10 years or more.
More information (Click on
links):
Hollick wines of Coonawarra: Regional
map
(Click on map to see
all wines on our list from Coonawarra, Australia):
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