My wife and I picked this up when it was Lidl’s ‘Wine of the Week’. She fancied an easy-going, plummy red and a Merlot seemed a safe enough bet. What I hadn’t realised was that I’d already picked this wine out at Lidl’s Winter Spring Wine Tour tasting, and it wasn’t quite what it appeared to be. My wife took one sip and declared, “This is not Merlot.” She had a point. Somehow, I ended up drinking almost the entire bottle myself.
This 2025 Merlot comes from Australia’s Limestone Coast, although it’s bottled in Germany, as so many of Lidl’s wines are. Beyond that, there are few clues to its origins. The front label carries what appears to be a winemaker’s signature, possibly R. or B. Williamson, or perhaps Williams, but following that trail leads absolutely nowhere. It’s a strange practice, proudly displaying a winemaker’s signature while leaving the actual provenance of the wine a mystery.
The aromas are intriguing, very cherry-menthol-like edge, eucalyptus, cranberry, forest floor and a little spice. There’s a lovely depth of elegant red fruit, underpinned by a slight savoury complexity that makes this far more interesting than the soft, plummy Merlot we were expecting. It’s dry, medium to full-bodied, and certainly fuller than I remember from the tasting. Tannins are low, while 13.5% ABV and acidity keeps everything in balance. The finish is silky, with that intriguing combination of fruit and earthy character lingering nicely. What particularly impressed me was how well it stood up to the various foods I threw at it.
It really doesn’t behave like a typical, say French, Merlot, but in my opinion, it’s all the better for that. My wife may not have got the easy-going, plummy red she was hoping for, but I ended up enjoying something rather more interesting.
We paid £5.99, reduced from £8.49, and at that price, it was a great (re)discovery.
