Editors notes
Brian Croser reports that the “ 1998 vintage was significantly cooler at 1401 degrees Celsius heat summation as against the districts average of 1414 degrees Celsius.” Both the Petaluma Merlot vineyards were drought affected which resulted in a diminished berry size “to the smallest in memory.” The crop level was higher than normal at 8 tonnes per hectare (3.2 tonnes per acre) which still produced a concentrated wine, with almost perfume like aromas.The wine was matured in new Nevers and Alliers oak casks and bottled after 18 months oak maturation.
Details
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Light (Light)Full (Full)
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Low Tannin (Low Tannin)Tannic (Tannic)
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Sweet (Sweet)Dry (Dry)
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Low Acidity (Low Acidity)High Acidity (High Acidity)
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Aroma
- Cassis
- Plum
- Red Fruits
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Palate
- Cherry
- Plum
- Redcurrant
Food Pairings
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Red Meat
Critic Scores & reviews
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Gary Walsh
95"Meaty, black olive, black fruit, plenty of cigar box and a slight menthol perfume. It’s ripe, medium to full bodied and powerful with fresh acid and ripe tannins still making their presence felt. Savoury bottle aged flavours mingle with classic Merlot character. Has length and interest. Much like a top Right Bank wine (sorry). Ripper."
Other vintages
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Locations
Australia
Australia's wine industry is a thriving part of the country's economy, contributing significantly to employment, production, export, and tourism. In fact, the industry is the fourth-largest wine exporter in the world, shipping out 760 million liters of wine to countries including France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. One of the key factors contributing to Australia's success as a "New World" wine producer is the formal export and marketing of its wines through Wine Australia.
Australia's wine regions are scattered across the south and southeast, with almost every state boasting its own vineyards. Victoria, for example, is home to an impressive 21 wine regions. Some of the most famous wine regions in Australia include Margaret River, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Eden Valley, Clare Valley, Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley, and local regions to New South Wales such as Cowra, Southern Highlands, and Mudgee.
Australian winemakers are known for producing a diverse range of grape varieties, with Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir being among the most popular. They tend to focus on producing wines that are ripe, fruit-forward, and easy to drink, using modern winemaking techniques and equipment such as stainless steel tanks and temperature-controlled fermentation.
With its bold, fruit-driven flavors and reputation for quality and diversity, Australian wine has become a popular choice for wine lovers around the world. And with such a broad range of wine regions and grape varieties, there's something for every palate to enjoy.
South Australia
If you like Australian wine, then you probably like South Australia wine. The rich reds produced there put Australia on the wine-making map of the world. With over 40% of the country's vineyards, South Australia can rightfully call itself the wine state.
Wines are produced in several regions throughout the state, though many are naturally grouped together, like Barossa and Eden Valleys, only 15 minutes apart. They include such regions as Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Eden Valley, Coonawarra, Adelaide Hills, Kangaroo Island, Langhorne Creek, The Limestone Coast, McLaren Vale and Wrattonbully to name but a few!
Barossa Valley boasts some of the oldest vines in Australia dating back to 1843 and produces some of the world's finest Shiraz, whilst the 'terra rossa' soils of Coonawarra is most suited to producing outstanding Cabernet Sauvignons. If you're a fan of Riesling, Clare Valley is a great place to explore and for a Maritime climate not dissimilar to parts of the Italian coastline, seek out the wines from McLaren Vale.
Coonawarra
Located in the Limestone Coast area of South Australia about 380km South East of Adelaide, near the border of Victoria Coonawarra is a Maritime climate due to it's proximity being only 60km from the ocean. The name translates as 'Honeysuckle' in Aboriginal language.
This region is known for it's elegant red wines derived from a thin lush 'Terra Rossa' rustic-copper coloured strip of soil abundant in iron, silica and other nutrients. This red earth is known to be one of the most notable 'terroir' soils in the world and distinct characteristics are picked up in the fruit. The quality of the grapes, unique Geology and growing conditions create the finest of wines with incredible longevity.
The red land was first harvested in 1890 by John Riddoch which then turned over to the hands of the Redman family who grew Shiraz as their main grape variety. In 1951, Samuel Wynn continued on the legacy by buying the original Riddoch cellars and led a revolution by making conventional table wines rather than the then popular fortified. There are many producers now but Cabernet Sauvignon is what the area is most renowned for in the wine world.
About the brand Petaluma
Petaluma was founded in 1976 and is built upon the 3 regions of Adelaide Hills, Clare Valley and Coonawarra in South Australia. They make ultra-premium wines by carefully selecting the best sites within a particular region suited to a chosen variety. The Senior Winemaker, Andrew Hardy, has been at Petaluma since 2004 and is a highly respected Australian winemaker.
In Petaluma's first releases, they flaunted the benefits of cold clarifying juice and non-oxidative handling. Petaluma also established the Project Co. series of wines to allow their winemakers to trial and test different wine styles. With intuitive handling from the first hand pick in the vineyard, the Petaluma team follow strict winemaking standards while responding to what the vintage offers up.
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