2018 Geoff Merrill G&W Cabernet Sauvignon, McLaren Vale

Whatever one thinks of the wines made by Geoff Merrill (hopefully, good things), there is one thing that he and his team seem to do better than anyone else. And that is offer excellent wines with considerable age under their belt for amazingly little money. If you doubt me, this is a prime example. The ‘G’ here stands for Graymoor, a vineyard in Coonawarra, while the ‘W’ is for Wickham Park in McLaren Vale. The blend tends to slightly favour Coonawarra and the wine will usually spend between a year and a half and two years maturing in a mix of American and French oak hogsheads, around one quarter of them new. The wine then spends a considerable time in bottle in their cellar. The quality of the 2018 vintage shines through. Deep maroon with a russet rim, this is an attractive and mature style, already offering good complexity. The nose gives us aromas of tobacco leaves, chocolate, kirsch, black fruits, leather, cloves, coffee grinds, charcuterie and even a touch of vegemite on toast on the palate. There is good length here, through to fine tannins and the wine is well balanced. Enjoy it now, although it surely still has at least a decade ahead of it. Drink 2026 to 2036.

93 points Ken Gargett for Wine Pilot, April 2026

Geoff Merrill has been making wine at Mount Hurtle in McLaren Vale since 1985. Scott Heidrich has worked alongside Geoff as senior winemaker since 1993, and the style of this wine has remained consistent across every vintage.

G stands for Graymoor in the Coonawarra here, and W for Wickham Park in McLaren Vale, both estate vineyards. Coonawarra contributes cassis, blue fruit and the region's characteristic fine herb and mint thread while McLaren Vale adds dark chocolate, warmth and generous fruit weight. The winemaking follows the same patient philosophy as the rest of the Geoff Merrill range, including extended oak maturation followed by bottle ageing at the winery before release.

Dark red with developing brick hues, the nose shows dark plum, cassis and dark chocolate with tobacco leaf, herbs and earthy complexity. The palate is full and structured with ripe fruit, fine tannins and good acidity carrying through to a long, confident finish. Honest, traditional and reliable — Geoff Merrill at his most consistent.

The 2018 arrives ready to drink and would be a treat for example with a Greek inspired table with an eggplant casserole and slow roasted lamb.

Drink now through 2030.