Piano Piano Reserve Merlot 2019

Winery's notes -

Vintage Conditions

Vintage 2019 was an ideal vintage. Beechworth experienced a long, mild, dry summer, and an early autumn. These slow ripening conditions resulted in delicate varietal flavours and balanced natural acidity. The grapes and resultant wines from 2017 show large amounts of fruit flavour and character. Vintage 2017 will be one of those years that we will talk about as being a ?normal? vintage, and we will be enjoying these wines well into the future.

Winemaking

The grapes were harvested in March from a premium vineyard at 320m on the Beechworth Wangaratta Road in close proximity to the Piano Piano Vineyard. Our friends vineyard is one of the premium Merlot vineyards in Australia. The grapes were gently crushed, allowing a large percentage of whole berries to remain unbroken. The wine was traditionally fermented using the grape?s indigenous yeast in open vats. It was gently hand plunged four times per day and it remained on skins for fourteen days. After pressing, the wine was matured for 20 months in French oak and hogsheads and barriques with 31% New before being prepared for bottling with minimal filtration.

Tasting Notes

This wine has integrated oak and spice with aromas of plum, cassis and red berries on the nose. The palate has elegant red berries flavours, spice, richness and an integrated oak finish. The fine chalky tannins add structure to this elegant wine.