Yellow Tail Chardonnay Review (2023)

Yellow Tail Chardonnay Featured

What Kind of Wine Is Yellow Tail Chardonnay?

Yellow Tail Chardonnay is one of seven labels produced by the Casella family. A true story of ‘living the dream’ Filippo and Maria Casella arrived from Sicily in 1957 and bought a farm just outside of Griffith at Yenda. The farm was charmingly named ‘Farm 1471.’ Their first bottle of wine was produced in 1961 and their first vintage in 1971.

Their son, John Casella, joined the family business together with his two brothers Joe, and Marcello and that’s when the Yellow Tail label was born. It’s a remarkable story from the first vintage of fifty tons of grapes in 1971to a mind boggling five million cases 32 years later.

John Casella had the aim of producing a wine of quality, taste, and value, as well as being easy to drink. His doctrine was ‘People can’t be bothered by all the hype and nonsense of wine. They just want to drink it’ is the foundation of the winemaking.

The grapes are sourced from various vineyards and are gently crushed through specially designed rollers and then airbag pressed. The free run juices are matured in oak, which together with the malolactic fermentation, ensures a rich, creamy taste nicely balanced by acidity. Yellow Tail Chardonnay has won several prizes including Gold at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show.


Yellow Tail Chardonnay Review

  • Winery — Yellow Tail
  • Country/Region — Australia, New South Wales
  • Type — White Wine From Australia
  • Aroma — Peaches, Melons, Citrus, Vanilla
  • Grapes — Chardonnay
  • Taste — Citrus, Orange, Lemon, Lime, Vanilla, Oak
  • Alcohol Content — 13.5%
  • Sugar — 10 Grams Per Litre (Semi-Dry)
  • Pairing — Blue Cheese Salad, Roast Chicken, Creamy Pasta

I cannot think of a single good reason for missing out on the delicious, fruity tasting experience that is available with a bottle of Yellow Tail Chardonnay. For a competitive price you can enjoy this wine in a wide range of settings. Perfect for sharing or sipping at any time of day – from brunch to dinner, and anytime in between. This is not a shy Chardonnay, so you should return the compliment and pour with confidence!

Overall Rating: 3.6

Positives
  • Extremely Drinkable
  • Unpretentious
  • Perfect Daily Wine
  • Great Value
Negatives
  • A Tad Bit Sweet
  • Slightly Acidic

Tasting Notes

Fans of Chardonnay will be very excited to explore the aromas and flavors of Yellow Tail Chardonnay. This approachable, affordable Chardonnay will please the eye and the palate. With its bright, gleaming yellow hues, the drinking adventure begins in the glass. Take time to linger over the layered aromas of tropical fruits, fresh hints of lemon and tantalizing spices. The aroma of vanilla follows through onto the palate and enhances the fruit flavors and creates the perfect backdrop for the light touch of oak.

Appearance

Yellow Tail Chardonnay has a bright and clear appearance with a medium straw hue and just a faint tint of green. The bottle has a screw cap and is also distinctively tinted.

Aroma

Yellow Tail Chardonnay presents a delightful array of vibrant aromas ranging from tropical fruits to subtle citrus, particularly lemon with a rich undertone of peaches and vanilla.

Taste

Yellow Tail Chardonnay reviews tend to emphasize the rich flavours of melon and pears that introduce the wine to the palate. This is followed by a sweet floral taste that blends with the vanilla and leads to a clean finish. Notes of soft peach and a touch of citrus mingle with the creamy texture of vanilla and just a little spice to provide a full mouthfeel to the wine. The wine has a perfect balance between the fresh a zesty fruit and the hint of toast from the oak.

Finish

Yellow Tail Chardonnay wine has a smooth and creamy finish as a result of the oak influence and the crisp acidity that does such a great job of balancing the rich fruitiness.

Rating

When John Casella started producing this wine it was with the twofold aim of presenting a full and stylish wine to the market at a modest price. This was his way of entering the American market. He succeeded admirably on all counts. The wine is meant to be drunk young and is promoted as a perfect companion to roast chicken or creamy pasta but, more especially, it is a wine to be shared with friends. A lovely easy drinking, honest young wine.

Yellow Tail Chardonnay Food Pairing

As the Aussies say, there are “no dramas” when it comes to Yellow Tail Chardonnay food pairing. This light refreshing wine is perfect with almost any summertime foods. It will bring out the flavor of grilled meat and oily fish such as tuna or salmon, so don’t hesitate to stock up if you are planning a barbecue. Pork and chicken are particularly good with a glass of Yellow Tail Chardonnay. You can feel confident about serving this delicious white wine with vegetarian fare or hearty salads, and it will be especially tasty if served chilled with fruity desserts.

With its full fruity body, Yellow Tail Chardonnay cheese pairing needs some consideration. I would recommend a mild Cheddar or creamy cheeses such as Maasdam, Bouche or Brie.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Makes Yellow Tail Chardonnay?

Yellow Tail Chardonnay is made by the Casella Family Company. They are a family winery with a rich history and a great reputation for making delicious, yet affordable wines.

How Is Yellow Tail Chardonnay Made?

The chardonnay grapes are harvested in the early to mid-season from a variety of locations in the Riverina and Riverland regions of New South Wales. They are gently crushed through rollers that have been specially designed with a wider gap to be gentle on the grapes. The grapes are then pressed by means of an air bag system and the free run juices are separated from the pressings and used to produce the chardonnay.

The juice is lightly refined to improve the smooth and creamy texture and then cold settled, and carefully selected yeast strains are introduced. As soon as the fermentation stage has been completed the wine is oaked for the next six months and then bottled. The bottling process at Yellow Tail Winery involves the use of machinery installed in 2006 that can process 36 000 bottles per hour.

Where Is Yellow Tail Chardonnay Made?

The Casella Family Wine Company is located in Yenda, approximately 350 miles west of Sydney in the Riverina district of New South Wales.

How to Serve Yellow Tail Chardonnay?

The temperature of the wine plays a significant role in improving the taste of the wine. If the wine is too warm, the alcohol will dominate, and the flavours will lose their individuality. Too cold, and the flavours and aroma will be subdued and lack freshness.

Chardonnay should be served at a temperature between 50 – 55 degrees Fahrenheit. So, you will need to pop the bottle of chardonnay into the fridge at least two hours before you intend drinking the wine. If you don’t have two hours to spare, then an ice bath should get it down to temperature in about three quarters of an hour.

How Much Does Yellow Tail Chardonnay Cost?

Yellow Tail Chardonnay is available both in the conventional 750 millilitre bottle and the magnum size bottle. Yellow Tail Chardonnay price for the former is normally around the $5 mark while the magnum can be snapped up for under $10 a bottle by sharp eyed bargain hunters.

How Long Does Yellow Tail Chardonnay Last?

The Yellow Tail range of wines are all produced and bottled with the aim of being consumed young. The Yellow Tail Chardonnay is best drunk within a year or two after being bottled. If you have wine left in the bottle it can be stored in the fridge for a day or two once you have resealed the bottle. Stretching it to longer than a couple of days runs the risk of the wine oxidising.

How Many Calories Does Yellow Tail Chardonnay Have?

In a 5 fluid ounce serving of Yellow Tail Chardonnay calories will amount to approximately 123 and the carbohydrate count is just a little over 3 grams.

Conclusion

I cannot think of a single good reason for missing out on the delicious, fruity tasting experience that is available with a bottle of Yellow Tail Chardonnay. For a competitive price you can enjoy this wine in a wide range of settings. Perfect for sharing or sipping at any time of day – from brunch to dinner, and anytime in between. This is not a shy Chardonnay, so you should return the compliment and pour with confidence!

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