Black & Ginger The Virginia Merlot 2023

Written By Campbell Mattinson
Mattinson review of Black & Ginger The Virginia Merlot 2023.

Black & Ginger The Virginia Merlot 2023
$65, 13.4% alcohol, screwcap, Great Western/Grampians.

Organically-grown merlot from the Grampians region, made in tiny quantity (44 dozen only). It’s a wine worthy of contemplation. It’s spicy, it’s ripe-fruited, it’s fresh; it’s many things. It’s also laced with fine-grained tannin, and splashed with black pepper, and run with a smidgen of chocolate-like character, the latter just enough to give the palate a feeling of silk. We’re in medium-weight red wine territory here, in the best of ways. It’s harmonious, a bit minty, and a lot lovely. 94 points.

Campbell Mattinson

Campbell Mattinson has been an independent journalist, wine critic and photographer for forty years. He founded The Winefront, is a former chief editor of the Halliday Wine Companion (and former editor of Halliday magazine), and is the only Australian to have won the Australian Wine Communicator of the Year Award more than once. He is 100% independent, and tastes between 5,000 and 10,000 wines each year, blind and in comparative brackets as often as is practicable.

More about Campbell Mattinson

Mattinson is also the founder of the Mattinson Photography business.

https://www.campbellmattinson.com
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