The nation's most long lived Merlot, a regional beacon of the varietal since since inaugural vintage of 1990. An assemblage of the best parcels from the distinguished Evans and Sharefarmer Vineyards. Both these mature sites yield a precious harvest of the most outstanding fruit. The palate is full, luscious and rich with loads of black fruits and cedar oak. A fully fleshed, immaculately detailed Merlot of satin textures and the most amazingly affable tannins, mesmerisingly perfumed by the heady notes of creme de cassis, Coonawarra violet, eucalypts and mint.
Bunches of grapes are all hand picked, transported to the Petaluma Piccadilly wineworks, destemmed and partially crushed. Juices are inoculated to a choice Petaluma strains of yeast, once a day the ferments are drained off and gently pumped back. After three weeks on skins, batches are drained, the skins are gently pressed and the wine is gravity fed to a selection of new Alliers and Nevers oak barriques. A course of secondery malolactic is followed by two years of rest, regularly rack and returned for clarification, gravity settled and bottled without filtration.
TASTING NOTES