Yellow Tail Merlot is soft and supple, with sweet, plum and cherry flavours and a hint of liquorice or anise. Merlot is an excellent alternative to the heavier and more tannic red varieties.

We have to talk about the Elephant in the Room Merlot. An aromatic scent of ripe, red berries balanced by spice and earthiness is continued into the palate with a well-contained flavour explosion. The delightful finish makes this the perfect wine to enjoy with friends.

When it comes to Australian Merlot, Katnook is among the very best. Lovely plum dark berry and cedary cigar box characters slip seamlessly into a finish that seems everlasting. Aged for 22 months in French oak, the swathes of blackcurrant are a delight to the senses.

A fresh contemporary style of Merlot from Jacob's Creek produces a luscious medium bodied wine that has ripe plum and berry fruit flavours in harmony with soft grape and oak tannins giving length and texture.

We have to talk about the Elephant in the Room Merlot. An aromatic scent of ripe, red berries balanced by spice and earthiness is continued into the palate with a well-contained flavour explosion. The delightful finish makes this the perfect wine to enjoy with friends.

Te Kahu is a wine of richness, with lovely black fruit flavours, hints of spice and long, fine graceful finish. From gravelly soil, it is made very much in the image of good Bordeaux.

Château Lafleur is a tiny 4.5-hectare Pomerol property located opposite Pétrus and producing wines of comparable quality. It is owned and run by Sylvie and Jacques Guinadeau. While the majority of great Bordeaux châteaux have changed hands over the past several generations, Château Lafleur remains in the same family hands to this day. Its vineyards are situated on the gravel-rich Pomerol plateau and adjoin those of La Fleur-Pétrus. The soils here are particularly deep and are enriched by deposits of potassium and iron. Only natural fertilisers are used and yields are painfully low, even by Pomerol standards. Lafleur's wine is typically a blend of Merlot (50%) and Cabernet Franc (50%). It is aged in small oak barrels (50% new) for 18 months. Wines from Lafleur display a spectacularly intense perfume (partly attributable to the high percentage of Cabernet Franc in the blend) and display layers and layers of concentrated, black fruits, minerals, tobacco spices and creamy liquorice on the palate. The best vintages can last for up to 50 years.

Dame de Boüard is the second wine of Château Clos de Boüard. Another expression of the Clos de Bouard terroir. This wine has aromas of ripe fruit, roasted aromatic herbs and hints of sweet spices. Its velvety tannins, fruity character and lovely volume on the palate give it a hedonistic character that is immediately accessible

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.