Deakin Estate was planted to premium wine grapes which were sold to other wineries until the 1980s. By the time the Deakin Estate range was launched in the 1990s, some of the vines had achieved considerable age, whilst newer vines were being planted. Deakin Estate's efforts are focused on producing fruit of the highest quality and expressive wines brimming with flavour and varietal character. The sunny microclimate and rich soils yield robust Merlot fruit, rich with varietal plummyness and soft tannins. The grapes are handled gently to extract the softest tannins, the juices are put through a slow maturation process to infuse the wine with warm oak complexity.