The King Skink 2025 Carbonic Merlot

Che’s baby, The King Skink, is on a mission to make Merlot cool again, and the 2025 rendition of this cuvée does exactly that. Light, lifted and aromatic, organic fruit from Settlers Ridge bursts from the glass, drawing you in with vibrant aromas of deep red plum and sour cherry.

Settlers Ridge Organic Vineyard is one of the first certified organic vineyards in the south-west, having set down roots in 1994. The Merlot block from which Che now sources fruit for this cuvée is leaps and bounds ahead of past vintages, carrying concentration and intensity alongside a natural restraint. Dry-grown vines and the classic gravelly loam soils of Wilyabrup deliver focused plum character, freshness and line.

The Merlot was picked in early March and loaded into a large variable-capacity tank to begin carbonic maceration. Oxygen was removed using a displacement technique, and the fruit was left to macerate for 14 days. Gas levels were monitored regularly, with juice sampled from the bottom valve from day eight onwards. After maceration, the fruit was transferred bucket by bucket to the press and sent to old oak, where the wine rested for 10 months before bottling.