Wakefield Merlot 2018 (Australia) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a nice Merlot from the always dependable Wakefield Wines. This red wine is a regular visitor to VINTAGES for many years now and, in fact, looking through my database, I actually purchased a 2004 vintage of this wine in 2006 and opened it that same year. The latest vintage of this Merlot arrived at LCBO outlets across Ontario recently as part of the October 31st LCBO VINTAGES Release.

The Taylor family established their wine business in 1969 and decided to create a proper 'old world' style Estate like the great producers of Bordeaux, but in the 'new world' location of the Clare Valley in South Australia. In the language of wine, an Estate means that the vineyards and winery are in the same location, thus allowing the producer to have ultimate control over the vineyards and winery. Today, the Taylor family continues to craft and bottle wines at the Estate. However, not all of the fruit comes from their own property these days mainly because their wines are so popular that they need to source fruit from elsewhere, but they sometimes also seek out fruit from other areas because the fruit is of higher quality. This commitment to crafting quality wines from quality fruit has helped the Taylor's develop an enviable reputation and garnered much success over the years.

The first wines they crafted were the Estate range Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, while the Merlot followed sometime thereafter. Like the trio of Wakefield Estate Wines I enjoyed back in August, this Merlot also has the innovative Optimum Drinking Temperature sensor on the back label. The fruit for this Merlot comes from the Taylor family estate and was de-stemmed and underwent a quick, yet gentle, warm fermentation using a yeast that enhances fruit expression. It was then pressed and went through malolactic fermentation. Finally, it was matured in mostly second use and older American & French oak barrels, then blended and bottled with minimal filtration.

Tasting Note:

WAKEFIELD MERLOT 2018 - Clare Valley, South Australia (#683201) (XD) - $19.95
Screw cap. The fragrant nose on this Merlot offers spicy ripe currant and green herbal aromas with savoury, earthy, and vanilla undertones. It's medium-bodied on the ripe, slightly candied and jammy palate with blackberry, minty cassis, vanilla, and sweet spice flavours with touches of plum. Acids are fresh while soft, supple tannins have some texture. Savoury wood spice and chocolate notes linger on the finish, with good length. Crafted in a casual, crowd-pleasing style. Score: 87 pts

Many other Wakefield Wines can be found at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Profile Wine Group.