Yellowtail Reserve Pinot Noir: Wine Review

Although Yellowtail wines can be purchased just in any store, the name lives up to its name. My husband and I tried a few other wines created by Yellowtail however we were not impressed with the flavor or smell. They were overpowering and pungent smelling. After attending a wine tasting party at our local fine wine store, we came across a wonderful tasting wine. We were surprised that it was Yellowtail Reserve Pinot Noir 2005. We later learned why this wine was better than the first trials that were purchased at Wal-Mart.

Although this company is known as Australian, Yellowtail began operations in the 1820's in Italy. Filippo and Maria Casella decided to make a better life and moved the entire operations to Yenda, New South Wales, Australia where they are still located today. At the time, the family was just growing and selling grapes to other wineries however in 1969; they decided to move into the large business of making their own wine. It is quite a remarkable story and quite a remarkable wine. Today, the winery is still run by Filippo and his wife Maria however also with their three sons and two grandchildren.

The wine that we tasted is known as a "reserve". At first, this had no meaning to my lacking wine knowledge or vocabulary. After engaging in a conversation with the shop owner, we were taught that each barrel of wine is divided into three parts. The top part, which happens to be the best part, is known as the "estate" wine. The second to top is the "reserve" which is what this wine is. And finally, the third part, the bottom of the barrel is the normal store level. Although all parts of the wine is good, purchasing the estate or the reserve levels of the wine barrel is what one is looking to purchase since it tastes better than the bottom of the barrel. We found that we could only purchase the reserve at a wine shop though, instead of Wal-Mart which we tried once before with no success.

Yellowtail Reserve Pinot Noir 2005 is a great choice for those wine drinkers looking for a sweeter wine. It is a red wine that has a distinct dark cherry and vanilla taste. The bottle states it has earthy tones, not sure what that means however it does not seem to taste dark or dry in anyway. We had this wine with brie on wheat crackers and grilled tuna steaks which really brought out the tastes. We were very excited about this wine since it is the first red wine that does not leave that after taste - plus it is under $10.00 a bottle which is a great selling point! It is perfect for anyone looking to have a glass of red wine with dinner or plain.