Handpicked Selections, Yarra Valley, Merlot 2020

• Size: 750ML
• ABV: 13.6%

TASTING NOTES

A full-flavoured wine with juicy raspberry and mulberry fruit flavours, rich mocha oak characters and the generous soft tannin so typical of the variety.

SERVING TEMPERATURE | 16˚C - 18˚C

CELLAR POTENTIAL | Up to 5 years

REGION & SEASON

REGION

Vines were first planted in the Yarra Valley in the mid-1800s. Due to a range of economic and agricultural factors, viticulture increasingly fell out of favour until resurgence from the late 1960s.

The region can be divided into two quite different sub-regions: the valley floor, with soils of sandy clay loam interspersed with broken sandstone, and the Upper Yarra Valley, which is more elevated and cooler and has areas of bright red volcanic loam.

SEASON

Calm weather with warm days and cool nights continued long into autumn, allowing a long hang time for fruit to achieve excellent maturity and deep flavour development. Harvest was a good two weeks later than the long-term average.

WINEMAKING

The fruit was harvested in mid-March to late-March in warm, dry conditions. It was destemmed and fermented in overhead fermenters with pumping over. The wine was aged in mostly old French oak. With the emphasis on fruit flavours and soft tannin, this wine is ready to drink now.