2025 Vignerons Schmölzer & Brown Beechworth Merlot

Tessa Brown and Jeremy Schmolzer aren't usually the types to tinker with Bordeaux varieties, but when the chance to snag the final crop of Merlot from the iconic Star Lane site came up, they couldn't say no. Since those vines have already been grafted over to Chardonnay, this 2025 release is a genuine one-off for the label.  

The goal here was "luncheon claret" - a style that prioritises pure fruit and a lighter touch over heavy oak or extraction. It’s an honest, unforced expression of the variety, showing plenty of those classic plum and blue fruit notes in a frame that’s built for immediate drinking rather than the cellar.  

It feels very much like a classic Schmolzer & Brown mid-weight red - fresh, bright, and incredibly easy to get through. It’s a bit of a bittersweet release knowing it’s the only time we’ll see it, but it’s a cracking way for these vines to go out.

92 points
"A soft, mellow, supple red that leans into merlot’s plummy goodness... Geez, it does the variety well. Such an ease of drinking. Right on."
- Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)