Fox Creek, Merlot, McLaren Vale

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Spicy and dry, not the Merlot that usually expected.

Very nice and inexpensive Merlot. Hints of cherry. Light on the nose and tongue. May have been better in a few years.

Not exactly awesome, but not all bad either. Very value priced. A little light and thin, but still basically varietally correct. Typical Merlot color. Cherry and strawberry nose, maybe a little yeasty. Decent, if not intense fruit, with pronounced blueberry. Not quite medium bodied. Tiny little tannins. Some oak, probably not from a barrel. Some smokiness. The finish is stronger than the palate with some interesting cinnamon, light cedar, and smoke.

Cherry, berry, and vanilla on the nose, then dry berry, and a long tannin finish. Leling smells and tastes plumb and gives it a 78. My taste is not subtle enough to find it(or it could be the 2 half bottles before this one:). With all that tannin should be good in a few years, still young 83 for now, expecting upper 80's later.