COLOUR
Full red with crimson highlights.
BOUQUET
Elegant cherry-plum fruit with hints of dark olive and nutmeg. Oak influence has been imparted sparingly to promote the fruit, yet has sufficient to add complexity.
PALATE
The palate has lovely finesse with persistant flavours eminating from a great mid palate. Plum fruits and soft long tannins are evident.
FOOD SUGGESTIONS
An excellent match with medium to full flavoured courses, such as tender rare beef. Try it with Italian influenced dishes.
CELLARING POTENTIAL
Excellent on release and will age over the next 4 to 6 years.
WINEMAKING NOTES
Fruit from vines planted in 1975 on our "Winery Block’ and 1985 from the Farm Block in McLaren Vale form the backbone of this wine, while the aromatics tended to come from 1998 plantings on our Hut block. The components of the blend were pressed prior to dryness with selections allowed oak fermentation. Following malo-lactic fermentation and oak maturation, the wine was blended, then bottled in September 2012. The style of wine to which we aspire is one that shows good length and sweet fruit with well structured tannins and excellent length – a more up-market Australian style.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Richard Hamilton planted his first Merlot wines in 1975 with subsequent plantings in 1985 and more recently in 1998. Lot 148 commemorates the first allotment of land that the Hamilton ancestors acquired when first arriving in South Australia in 1837. Today Lot 148 Merlot has become an excellent example of the variety from McLaren Vale.
OAK TREATMENT
Matured for 18 months with 90% French Oak and 10% American Oak.
