Yellow Tail Merlot

A rich color and deep hue introduces your nose to a ripe and rich flavor. Mint and leaf at the front of the nose is followed by soft plums and ripe almost Christmas cake fruit. The vanilla softness on the nose takes you into a ripe and full palate weight with a soft, sweet oak palate length on the finish.The fruit is allowed to ripen to between 13 to 14 Baume in order to allow maximum fruit richness and flavor whilst giving a deep purple hue to the color. The juice is fermented on skins for up to 3 weeks allowing soft tannins to be formed into the rich and soft palate seen in many great Merlots.The fermented wine is then drained and the skins pressed into a new vessel to allow a natural malolactic fermentation occur, giving a further softening and palate rounding to this soft variety.After settling, a portion of the volume is transferred to oak and allowed to mature for 6 months before blending back into the original wine, adding complexity and texture to the fruit driven palate.This wine is then chilled, clarified and bottled on the Estate to ensure maximum quality control in the final product.A perfect accompaniment to this wine would be Rich rare char-grilled beef and asparagus or a rich confit de canard to bring out its juicy palate.The fruit is allowed to ripen to between 13 to 14 Baume in order to allow maximum fruit richness and flavor whilst giving a deep purple hue to the color. The juice is fermented on skins for up to 3 weeks allowing soft tannins to be formed into the rich and soft palate seen in many great Merlots.The fermented wine is then drained and the skins pressed into a new vessel to allow a natural malolactic fermentation occur, giving a further softening and palate rounding to this soft variety.After settling, a portion of the volume is transferred to oak and allowed to mature for 6 months before blending back into the original wine, adding complexity and texture to the fruit driven palate.This wine is then chilled, clarified and bottled on the Estate to ensure maximum quality control in the final product.It all started in 1820, when the first Casellas planted some vines in the Italian countryside. Two things sprouted shortly thereafter: a cluster of grapes, and a family passion that would last 188 years and counting.Fast forward to 1957. Filippo and Maria Casella were keeping the business alive in Italy, when they decided to pack up and move to Australia. However far away, they couldn’t escape their wine roots. Filippo began selling grapes to local wineries. Then in 1969, he decided it was time for a new generation of Casellas to put their winemaking skills to use.

Following the blueprint of other Australian winemakers, Casella sourced his fruit from other growing areas throughout South Eastern Australia, creating wines with incredible freshness and character year after year. Still, almost a third of the grapes used for [yellow tail] are grown right in the Casella family’s vineyards, nearly 540 acres in the Riverina region of Australia. In 1994, the Casellas built a new and improved winery, blending old world heritage with new world technology.