Grant Burge Barossa Valley Hillcot Merlot 2020

Grant Burge was a pioneer of Merlot in the Barossa Valley and planted the first Barossa Merlot vineyard in the Hillcot Vineyard in 1982. When our first straight Merlot was produced, there were only two others available in Australia, and although there are more straight Merlots being produced now, Grant Burge Hillcot Merlot sits among the top-selling Merlots in its price bracket.

The cool and wet conditions followed by warm conditions during summer resulted in a very late vintage. The extended hang time on the vine with increased canopy density due to the wet spring and summer allowed the fruit to attain excellent flavour ripeness, while maintaining good levels of natural acidity.

The fruit for the Grant Burge Hillcot Merlot 2020 vintage was crushed into static fermenters and left on skins to extract the colour and flavour of the fruit. The wine was fermented at between 24-28˚C to retain delicate fruit characters. The wine was matured in a combination of French and American oak for 15 months before being bottled.