The Bard Merlot 2019 (Cork Closure) – DOZEN

The BARD range celebrates the work of Australia’s best known lyric poet John Shaw Neilson who was raised in the cottage on the Hollick Neilson’s Block vineyard. Revered by his peers in the world of literature, Neilson was born in Penola in 1872, and it is thought that much of the imagery in his poetry was conjured up during his childhood experiences in the swampy bush land around Coonawarra.

The Bard Merlot is made from 100% Merlot grapes from the cool climate Hollick Coonawarra vineyard. Typically, Merlot is a wine of softness and can be consumed with a wide range of foods.

The long mild growing season in Coonawarra provides an ideal climate for Merlot. Vintage 2016 was early, with a warmer October advancing the whole season, such that flowering, veraison and harvest dates were all a couple of weeks early. Despite the early season, the time taken for berry development and ripening were in line with normal, allowing adequate time for fruit to develop tannins and complexity.

The fruit for the 2019 Merlot was picked, crushed and then fermented on skins for six days in stainless steel tanks. This base wine was then matured in a mixture of French and American oak.