Angove Organic Merlot 2024: Tasting Notes

WINE STYLE → Plush & Velvety

Plush, ripe and beautifully approachable, Angove Organic Merlot 2024 is built around generous plum, cherry and bright summer berries. Subtle oak sits quietly underneath the fruit, adding depth without making the wine heavy or woody. The palate is full and rounded, with supple tannins and a long, smooth finish. Certified organic, sustainably grown and vegan friendly, this is an easy red to reach for when you want softness and generosity rather than big, grippy structure.

Highlights

• ACO Certified Organic and vegan friendly
• Crafted by Angove Family Winemakers — a fifth-generation Australian family winery
• Ripe plum, cherry and bright summer berry fruit with subtle oak
• Fruit sourced from Angove’s own certified-organic Nanya Vineyard near Paringa, South Australia
• Minimal sulphites
• 14.5% ABV

Tasting Notes

Deep ruby with magenta hues, this is generous Merlot from the first pour. Ripe plum and cherry lead the aroma, joined by raspberry and bright summer berries. Those juicy red and dark-fruit flavours carry through the palate, with subtle oak adding a little savoury depth and shape. The texture is full, rounded and supple rather than aggressively tannic, finishing long and smooth.

Winemaking

Angove handles its Organic Merlot with a relatively light touch to retain the generous fruit character of the variety. The fruit is harvested cool, then crushed into fermenters and given a short period of maceration before fermentation. After around a week on skins, the wine is pressed and undergoes malolactic fermentation, softening the acidity and contributing to its rounded texture. Oak is used subtly for added depth rather than as the dominant flavour, followed by minimal handling before filtration and bottling.

Vineyard & Vintage

The Merlot comes from Angove’s own certified-organic Nanya Vineyard near Paringa in South Australia’s Riverland. The site sits above the Murray River on relatively shallow red sandy loam over limestone, with lower-yielding vines producing richly flavoured, textural fruit. The 2024 Riverland vintage followed challenging weather and the largest Murray River flood in around 50 years. Regional yields were well below average, concentrating flavour in the fruit that was harvested.

Why We Love It

Merlot is at its best when it delivers generosity without demanding too much attention, and this one gets that balance right. There is plenty of ripe plum and cherry, but the subtle oak and smooth structure stop it becoming simply fruity. It is a particularly useful dinner-table red: soft enough for roast chicken and vegetable dishes, yet generous enough to sit happily alongside slow-cooked beef or lamb.

Food Pairing

Soft tannins, ripe fruit and subtle oak make this an adaptable food wine. Tomato-based dishes work beautifully, as do mushrooms, roasted vegetables and slow-cooked meats where the wine’s plum and cherry flavours can play against deeper savoury flavours.

Try matching this wine with →

• Eggplant parmigiana with tomato, basil and bubbling cheese — Find a Recipe
• Slow-cooked beef ragu with pappardelle — Find a Recipe
• Mushroom and lentil shepherd’s pie — Find a Recipe

Mood or occasion to match this wine…

Sunday dinner territory: something delicious slowly cooking, a few people around the table and a red that everyone can get along with. Equally useful when Tuesday night calls for pasta and a proper glass of red.

Cellaring

Delicious now for its ripe fruit and smooth texture, with enough structure for around 3–4 years of cellaring under good conditions. Short-term ageing should soften the fruit further and bring the subtle oak and savoury notes forward. Once opened, reseal and refrigerate; enjoy within 3–5 days.

Producer

Angove Family Winemakers is a fifth-generation, family-owned Australian winery established in 1886 and today led by members of the Angove family. The family farms significant certified-organic vineyards and has become one of Australia’s leading names in organic wine, with vineyards and winemaking operations spanning the Riverland and McLaren Vale. This Merlot comes from Angove’s own Nanya Vineyard near Paringa, overlooking the Murray River, where certified-organic farming avoids artificial herbicides, pesticides and fertilisers. Angove describes its Organic range as wines made with the gentlest winemaking touch, with sustainable farming, varietal fruit character and minimal inputs at the centre of the approach.

Related Wines To Try →

If you enjoy the soft fruit and supple texture of this Merlot, explore these next:

• Plush Merlot with ripe plum, mulberry and silky tannins — Tamburlaine Organic Merlot
• Richer Angove red with raspberry, cherry, spice and fine tannins — Angove Organic Shiraz
• Explore more soft, generous reds from certified-organic producers — Organic Merlot

FAQ

What does Angove Organic Merlot 2024 taste like?

Ripe plum, cherry and raspberry lead into juicy dark red and summer berry flavours, with subtle oak adding depth underneath. It is generous and rounded, finishing long and smooth rather than heavily tannic.

Is this Merlot dry or sweet?

Angove Organic Merlot 2024 is a dry red wine. Its ripe plum and cherry can give an impression of fruit sweetness, but the overall style is dry, with enough acidity and tannin to keep the palate balanced.

Is it a full-bodied Merlot?

It sits around medium-to-full bodied, with generous fruit and 14.5% alcohol giving it good palate weight. The tannins remain relatively soft and supple, so it drinks more smoothly than many similarly full-flavoured reds.

What makes Angove Organic Merlot certified organic?

The grapes are grown under certified-organic farming practices, without synthetic herbicides, pesticides or fertilisers. The 2024 bottle carries ACO Certified Organic certification, and the fruit comes from Angove’s own certified-organic Nanya Vineyard in South Australia.

Does Angove Organic Merlot contain preservatives or sulphites?

Yes. The 2024 label states that the wine contains minimal sulphites, so this is not a preservative-free wine. Organic wine permits sulphur dioxide within stricter production requirements; if avoiding added sulphites is your priority, explore our No Added Preservative wines.

Is Angove Organic Merlot 2024 vegan friendly?

Yes. The 2024 bottle is clearly marked Vegan Friendly, and Angove also identifies its Organic Merlot as vegan friendly.

What food pairs best with this Merlot?

Its ripe fruit and soft tannins work beautifully with beef ragu, pot roast, lasagne, roast chicken and lamb. For a vegetarian match, try eggplant parmigiana, mushroom pasta or a lentil and mushroom shepherd’s pie.

How should I serve it, and should it be decanted?

Serve at around 16–18°C in a medium-to-large red wine glass. It drinks well straight from the bottle, although 15–20 minutes in a decanter or open bottle will help the ripe fruit and subtle oak become more expressive.

How long can Angove Organic Merlot 2024 be cellared?

It is already approachable and fruit-forward, so there is no need to wait. Drink now for maximum fruit or cellar for around 3–4 years under good conditions for a slightly softer, more savoury expression.

Who will enjoy this wine most?

This is a good choice for anyone who loves smooth, fruit-driven reds but finds heavily tannic Cabernet or powerful Shiraz a little much. If you enjoy plush Australian Merlot with ripe plum, gentle oak and a soft finish, this is firmly in that style.

(SKU: AN_MER_CV)