This wine has a clear medium ruby color but with not a lot of structure. If you swirl this wine you don’t get much in the way of “legs”. It has some definite berry notes – what berry is a little less certain -- with perhaps some peppery under tones. The berry notes follow through on your palette along with, unfortunately a very healthy dose of tannins. One might call it aggressive. There’s some sweetness there but that seems to be overpowered by acidity giving it a definite unbalance and not too pleasant finish. Like you were kicked by a mule. Definitely drink it with food. It helps cut the tannin problem down to size.

Like the Fox and Hound news, I’ll be fair and balanced. You might try decanting this to an empty bottle of a better wine. But even a drunken mountain Satyr in a blind taste test will still spew it across the table.

– Silenus

Grade: D+ Price: $7

Wine Reviewed:
Yellow Tail
2005
Merlot
South Eastern Australia
Alcohol: 13.5% by Volume.
www.yellowtailwines.com