Coonawarra Merlot

Petaluma Coonawarra Merlot is from a small patch of low yielding vines in the Evans Vineyard at Coonawarra. The site was purchased from Australian wine legend Len Evans in 1978.

The fruit is destemmed, crushed and cold soaked. Fermentation occurs with a selected yeast strain. Each day, the juice is drained and pumped back over the skins to gently extract colour and tannin.

As the wine reaches sugar dryness, it is inoculated for malolactic fermentation to convert harsh malic acid into softer lactic acid. After two weeks on skins, the wine is drained and the skins are pressed.

Maturation is in small, new French oak barrels. At 20 months, the best barrels are selected and blended, lightly fined with egg whites, filtered and bottled.

A rich red hue, Petaluma Coonawarra Merlot has brooding dark fruit flavours, subtle oak and abundant soft tannins. Cellaring potential is 10 years.