Taltarni Three Monks Cabernet Merlot 2003

The shadows of the three monks recount the story of Taltarni's three winemakers lurking in the darkness of our wineries diligently crafting this wine. Three Monks Cabernet Merlot 2003 combines fruit sourced from cool climate regions of Victoria's Pyrenees and Strathbogie Ranges. Remembered as one of the El Ninõ and extreme drought years, the drier 2003 vintage produced smaller than normal berries, intensifying flavours and extraction of colour.

Inclusion of Cabernet Sauvignon adds rich cassis, mocha and soft dusty tannins whilst the blending of Merlot imparts a voluptuous breath of delicious plum and black-forest flavours across the mid- palate. A period of malolactic fermentation followed by 12 months ageing in a combination of 2-3 year old and 15% new American oak creates a wine with a subtle assortment of nutmeg, cinnamon and cedar spice aromas.

The fresh fruit flavours make it ideal for immediate enjoyment, but offer the complexity and structure to age gracefully. Beautifully crafted, this wine complements Taltarni's remarkable portfolio of superb red wines. Designed for perfect enjoyment on release, it is an ideal matched to pasta with bolognese sauce or veal ragout.

"The breath of fresh air at Taltarni, and its willingness to look beyond its large estate vineyards to other premium regions of Victoria, has paid off. Strong red-purple, the wine abounds with ripe, but not jammy, blackcurrant, cassis and mulberry fruit, the medium-bodied palate rounded off by soft tannins and positive oak."
-James Halliday