Hey there gastronauts and
bon vivants, here's a secret Joe Grilli's family have known for generations, that fresh young reds are quite often, best enjoyed lightly chilled. Perfect for sharing with friends on a warm summer evening,
Merlesco is a deliciously uncomplicated, juicy Merlot wine for unwinding after a hot and bothered day. The team at Primo are not going to tell you how to drink it but this one keeps popping up whenever mates and good food are around.
Merlesco combines fruit from two McLaren Vale sites. The McMurtrie Road property on the valley floor enjoys sunny days and cooling evening breezes from the nearby ocean. Primo's dry grown, shale strewn, Angel Gully in the subregion of Clarendon is the highest vineyard in McLaren Vale, where it enjoys a long, slow growing season with cool evenings and warm days. Harvesting Merlot throughout the chill of night and treating it to a cool fermentation keeps the grapes pristine for a wine that's rich, soft and full of juicy fruit. A regimen of light pumpovers adds extra colour, followed by gentle air bag pressing and four months spent softening in old oak barrels to keep the flavours fresh and young.
TASTING NOTESBright purple red colour. Fresh blackberry, blueberries and cherry dominate the bouquet. Juicy young fruits of the forest flavours are balanced by good acidity and soft tannins. Delighfully fruit driven with less than a whisper of oak, this is not for the cellar. Merlesco has nailed the style in a deliciously refreshing and quaffable wine, an invigorating young red to be drunk chilled. It will taste even better served out of tumblers, alongside antipasto and pizzette.