The typical Margaret River Cabernet characters of red berries and leafiness are neatly balanced with the softer, plummy notes of Merlot.

This wine is classic Coonawarra in style with ripe berry and cassis aromas and flavours layered over fine tannins. Cabernet is the major component and backbone with Merlot adding softness and drinkability.

This attractive Merlot displays varietal aromas of cassis and liquorice. The palate is fleshy and mouth filling with flavours of plum, sweet spice and creamy vanillin oak.

The gravelly soils and sunny climate of Hawkes Bay are producing some of New Zealand's most exciting reds. This classy Merlot from Oyster Bay shows soft spicy varietal flavours such as, juicy plums and ripe dark fruits. Accompanied by well intergraded oak and subtle tannins, making this wine one of the easier matching to food.

From a 37-acre vineyard, Château Pavie Macquin is stunningly situated on the clay-limestone plateau of Saint-Émilion on the right bank of Bordeaux. 2010 has produced a formidable wine: a blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a top release of the harvest year and a highlight from St-Émillion in 2010. Tannins, restraint and inward concentration are motifs, this is a wine for the patient, sophisticated collector who wishes to embellish a cellar with pedigree wines that need time and maturity to come to the fore.

McGuigan produce another fantastically smooth and rich Merlot from their Black Label range. It is a soft and flavoursome wine with ripe fruit flavours of raspberry, cherry and plums integrated with subtle oak.

McGuigan provides a luscious and smooth drinking Cabernet Merlot here with nice concentration from the Cabernet Sauvignon balanced well with smooth, silky Merlot. Plums and blackcurrants cover the palate complimented by a silky finish.

Restrained red fruit with a background of menthol, leather and tobacco on the nose leads to a big mouthful of cherries, vanilla and plums with good intensity. A nicely balanced wine, drinking very well.

The Burge family are Barossa royalty with a history that dates back to 1885 when Grant Burge's Great Great Grandfather, John Burge, immigrated to Australia. Being the 5th Generation Burge, this wine pays tribute to the great impact the Burge family continues to have over the great regions history. The Cabernet Merlot is a wonderfully lush and vibrant wine with typical Barossa notes of vanilla and blueberry all kept in wonderful balance with judicious use of oak.

Wolf Blass continues to produce brilliant quality wines at unbeatable prices and the Red Label Cabernet Merlot is the perfect example. The wine has bright berry and plum fruit aromas supported by subtle nutty oak. The palate displays a juicy fruit finish with approachable fine tannins and its best enjoyed young and fresh with hearty red meat dishes.