The Auswine Forum

Restaurant Wine, a bimonthly journal on wine for the hospitality and wine industries, has released its listing of the Top 100 brands of wine sold in restaurants in the USA in 2004, ranked according to their estimated sales volume. The top 25 are in this news release. Number 7 on the list is Yellow Tail! Five other Aussie wines also made the listing, although they are not listed in the top 25.

It is interesting just how accepted Yellow Tail has become in the US. On the recent July 4th holiday I had a couple of people who have relatively good palates and drink wine every day tell me what great deals they get on Yellow Tail. But then they do tend to drink mainly see-throu, which at least for some on the forum probably explains a lot!

Mike

And its this sort of article that makes Yellow Tail so popular.

Yellow Tail 2004 Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon ($7; Australia): Just a few years after its entry to the U.S. market, Australia's Yellow Tail is now the top-selling imported wine. The latest addition to its lineup, this explosively fruity blend of 60 percent shiraz and 40 percent cabernet sauvignon, suggests why. It's a knockout best buy. The grapes come from the New South Wales region of Australia, a moderately warm region that produces plump, fruity wines.

They are expertly vinified by Casella Wines, a quality-conscious, family-owned winery with state-of-the-art facilities. It could go well with classic bistro food, such as steak and french fries, sausages or chicken in wine.

I better rush out and buy some!

Mike

I reckon if you like a wine you drink it.Dont worry about others saying it is or isnt good.

Anonymous wrote:I reckon if you like a wine you drink it.Dont worry about others saying it is or isnt good.

This is why my eBlog post on this topic includes the following.
I'm not a fan of the wines, but if you enjoy them drink up. Then be adventurous and spend a few $Â’s more on another wine, eventually you will get into a price/quality range where you will see why Yellow Tail is the lower rung on the ladder of wine experiences.

Mike

Ive never even tried the stuff so im not defending it.Saying that if thats what they like then they should drink it but not like it because someone wrote an article like that and recommended it.Like women that drink Splatese Lexia if thats what they like good luck to them its there teeth not mine.

The Cassella Yellowtail rise and story is quite staggering. Probably even more spectacular than Walmart or McDonald's.

I sure that this reply will get a few eyebrows raised, but here goes:

I reckon if you like a wine you drink it. Dont worry about others saying it is or isnt good.

Why is it so politically incorrect or why is so much scorne heaped on people when they "knock" someone's taste in wine.

I know that everyone has the right to their opinion, (hey, just like this one) but does the right to an opinion make the opinion accurate?

This has nothing to do with Yellow Tail, I haven't tried it, but we often read and/or know of people who make outrageous statements such as
" the rosemount diamond label (for want of an example wine only) was a top class wine and equal to those $100 bottles.

Why can't we tell someone that their taste buds are in their "u know what"

A great wine is clearly distinguishable from two buck chuck.

Just because someone sais that their Roger David suit is a good suit, doesn't mean it is anywhere near the quality or asthetic appeal of a bespoke or a Brioni.

Down with the Heathens I say.........

Hey Gianna leave the Diamond Label alone!

This is the one you meant (see end of page 2)- "We challenge anyone to have a blind tasting and see where our wines come out," he says. "We think we can run with the top dogs at $100-plus. There's no wine worth more than 10 bucks a bottle."

Mike

707 wrote:The Cassella Yellowtail rise and story is quite staggering. Probably even more spectacular than Walmart or McDonald's.

You didn't go to this did you Steve? Masquerading as a New South Welshman again eh? On another clandestine trip to the Hunter I suppose!

Mike

Hi all,
Rosemount (black) daimond, mmmmm, not bad at 15.00 I must admit. We had one after a Petaluma Cabernet Merlot 2000 and we drank the bottle with no dramas. Quite enjoyed it too I might add.
Yellow tail, you gotta walk around the stuff in every single shop that sells wine in America, it's at the front of the store taking up about 25% of the shop floor and apparently every shop attendant is on commission (well just a guess actually) but going on the way they try to slip it in your cart (I like to shop for wine with a shopping cart). I think I'll grab a bottle and give you some tasting notes beacause that is what it's all about trying something new. But wait, what if I like it, what if I find I'm paying + $50.00 for inferior wines!
Some how I really doubt that, but It's got to be worth investigating further. I'll shoot down the road, get a bottle of this and give my most honest T/N. (Hope I don't get banned from the site). At $7.00 a bottle I can do it. Now the really hard decision, Shiraz, Cabernet Merlot or a blend??? I'm goint o grab some Vasse Felix too, just in case.
A note also... is this all retaraunts? because the Applebys, Fridays crowds etc are people who are looking to feed the family on $50.00 including the wine! And great for taking the kids. Won't see no yellow tail at a table that is +50.00 a plate/ meal I'm quite sure (IMHO)!

Cheers,
Mick.

You didn't go to this did you Steve? Masquerading as a New South Welshman again eh? On another clandestine trip to the Hunter I suppose! - Mike

Unlikely I'd go to anything in NSW unless it was a Sydney Swans game.

Isn't the Hunter a coal mining region? Do they grow grapes there?

If we settled Australia again, we wouldn't grow grapes in the Hunter. I've never been there nor am I likely to. It would be like going to a Rawsons Retreat tasting, well maybe not that bad!

Jersey wrote:I'll shoot down the road, get a bottle of this and give my most honest T/N. (Hope I don't get banned from the site). At $7.00 a bottle I can do it. Now the really hard decision, Shiraz, Cabernet Merlot or a blend??? Cheers, Mick.

Mick, c'mon now, don't choose just one, we want TNs on all three or four Yellow Tails. We need to know how much of our wine budgets to allocate to these gems!

LMAO,
I got down to the local wine shop and checked out the mountains of yelow tail. I had my usual browse to see what was on special.
I picked up two bottles, one Cabernet and one Shiraz. I got home, put the shiraz in the decanter and cooked my steak on the bbq. I poored a glass and bam! Big fruity nose with chocolate and peppery spice palet. A nice long finish. I am drinking it now as I write. It's a tight shiraz with smooth silky tannins, big bold and beautiful, the nose is full of black berries and the finish is long and acidic, quite dry.
Oh by the way, I didn't get any yellow tail, I got a bottle of Canonbah Bridge 2001 drought reserve shiraz (Mclaren Vale)and a '99 Vasse Felix Cabernet. T/N are of the Canonbah. I really did go to get the yellow tail but somethings are probably best left unanswered. This Canonbah is a very good shiraz and picked it up for $15.00 (special price). Sorry, I know you were just hanging on to the edge of your seat waiting for the yellow tail T/N.

Now, what was that about compromise???

Cheers
Mick.

Anonymous wrote:I reckon if you like a wine you drink it.Dont worry about others saying it is or isnt good.

yes, you got it in one mate and poohie to all the snob-assasins. well done Yellow Tail, they have worked hard and done their homework. Parker may never give you 99 points but who the hell really cares if he uses YT as mouthwa$h.

Ah yes, the 2001 Canonbah Bridge Drought Reserve Shiraz from McLaren Vale!

Must have slipped under my radar because I live too far from McLaren Vale, like 15 minutes away!

Who the @#$% makes this one??

Interesting that in volume, Yellow Tail is almost as big as the next three combined, That's Lindemans, Rosemount and............Black Swan of course........now who the @#$% is Black Swan??

707 wrote:.......................
Interesting that in volume, Yellow Tail is almost as big as the next three combined, That's Lindemans, Rosemount and............Black Swan of course........now who the @#$% is Black Swan??

You don't know Black Swan!! I go to all the trouble of posting such vital information and you are still in the dark! Shame, shame!!

Note: The actual link to the article in the original post has expired but the web site link still works.

Mike

Oh, and here is a TN for Yellow Tail Shiraz.

Fear no wine!

Mike

Drought Reserve Shiraz 2001, this wine has just been nominated for the most outstanding wine exported out of Australia for 2004-05 (George Mackay Trophy). This wine is made by Vigneron Shane McLaughlin. He has only made 750 cases of this limited edition. Halliday gives it 89/100. It should good for cellaring 10-15 years going by the ph and acid levels at the time it was bottled. The winery is based in NSW and I have to assume for the Reserve they have sorced the grapes, unless there has sprung up a new McLaren Vale in NSW. It clearly states "Western planes McLaren Vale'' http://www.canonbah.com.au/index.html for more info.
It's a very good shiraz, A bit tight right now, and as mentioned, will certainly do well with some cellaring.

Cheers,
Mick.