Burrowing Owl Merlot 2019

Combining elegance and structure, the nose opens with toasty oak, dark chocolate, coffee and bacon alongside black plum, black cherry, prune studded fruit cake and with complex tobacco, clove, shortbread and floral notes. The palate is full and rich with firm, ripe, dusty tannins and sage, paprika, black liquorice and roasted red capsicum to go alongside the cocoa powder, espresso and ripe mulberry fruit. Pair this with slow roasted leg of lamb or beef wellington.

91 Points - Anthony Gismondi

At six months of bottle age this Merlot is just settling in for a long run. This has been an important wine for BOV from the beginning, and it remains a top selling red. It is a dense, rich wine dating back to the days of California winemaker Bill Dyer. What this wine lacks in elegance it makes up for in concentration of black fruits, spice and warm round textures that linger throughout its warm soft finish. You can drink this now with lamb or beef or wait a decade. It has the chops to go the distance.