PepperGreen Estate Merlot Single Vineyard

PepperGreen Estate Merlot Single Vineyard 2021 from the cool‑climate Southern Highlands is an elegant, season‑friendly merlot that mixes morello cherry and plum fruit with cedar, herbs and dark berries in a soft, textured frame.

In the glass it sits cherry red, with enticing aromas of morello cherry and plum on the nose. The palate is medium‑bodied, smoothly textured and soft, unfolding gentle notes of cedar, herbs and dark berries before finishing dry – a refined, cool‑climate take on merlot that avoids jamminess.

As an Adelaide‑based sommelier, I’d pour PepperGreen Estate Merlot Single Vineyard 2021 with roast chicken, pork loin, mushroom dishes or richer seafood like tuna steaks, where its cherry‑plum fruit and herbal, cedary complexity can really integrate. It’s also a lovely match for soft‑rind cheeses and charcuterie, and sits among the better NSW merlots, ranked #5 of 17 in its category.