"The De Bortoli Premium Reserve cask range was first launched in 1999 to accolades such as 'a bottle in a cask!' and '...more flavour than many bottle efforts' and '...has enough flavour to make one query why anyone would bother with most of the cheaper efforts.'
The range has gone from strength to strength ever since offering new varieties in more recent times.

With all the hype about the growth and success of Australian wines both here and overseas, it is easy to overlook one significant statistic. We continue to drink more wines in casks - or soft packs as they are called in the industry - than we do in bottles..."
Ray Jordan, West Australian, 23 September 2004

"De Bortoli produces some of the best cask wines in Australia for both quality and value. It’s always a winner at tastings, outperforming some of Australia’s largest wine companies. The Premium Reserve two-litre range has been described by leading wine writers as a 'bottle in a cask', having more flavour than many bottled wines. The merlot is a smooth, sweet-fruited wine that goes well with grilled salmon steaks.The varietal range also includes chardonnay, verdelho, cabernet sauvignon and shiraz."
Australian Good Taste, In Your Trolley, February 2005

"I gave these four De Bortoli cask reds the same points so there's not much to split them. This blend of cabernet and merlot has bright, lively, redcurrant flavours and neatly balanced tannins and is drinking very nicely indeed."
Peter Forrestal, Quaff 2009

4/5
"A very useful and versatile red featuring sweet berry fruit, some chocolate and soft tannins."
Paddy Kendler, Best In a Box, Herald Sun, 13 May 2008

"The wine cask doesn't get much praise, but some of it is pretty good, for example this one from De Bortoli. It has a nose of dark berries with hints of ani-seed, spice and a whisper of vanillin oak. The palate is smooth and fleshy with succulent fruit character, supple tannins and lip smacking balance."
Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Age Epicure Uncorked, 8 January 2008

"De Bortoli are one of the big names in the cask business with a whole range of smart wines to choose from. This is the top chardonnay and it gives some of the more expensive bottled chardonnays a run for their money."
Angus Hughson, Courier Mail and Daily Telegraph, 7 March 2007

"Toasty, nutty notes lead onto honeyed stonefruit aromas. Full-flavoured palate with slightly dominant oak character. A well-balanced wine."
Winestate, March/April 2007

"In a more restrained style with cooler fruit flavours and a drier finish than most. It is fresh and bright with melon and citrus flavours and crisp, lively acidity to finish."
Peter Forrestal, Quaff 2007

"Apricot and melon aromas with a hint of toasty oak. The palate has a creamy texture showing pretty stone fruit flavours with subtle vanilla and yeasty notes."
Winestate, Feature Tasting - Cask Wines, March / April 2006, Volume 29, Issue 2

"All ripe peaches and cream with a rich texture and mouth feel."
Ray Jordan, West Australian, 23 September 2004

"Yummy nose, reasonable fruit, honeycomb and butterscotch, the stand-out wine with some real character."
Graeme Philips, Hobart Mercury, 23 June 2004

"Advanced forward nose with aromas of figs... A soft palate with good depth of citrus / melon flavours."
Winestate, Feature Tasting - Cask Wines, March / April 2004

5/5
"Plenty of ripe tropical fruit flavour with soft, lemony acid. The sweetness is within acceptable limits. Top value."
Paddy Kendler, Best In a Box, Herald Sun, 13 May 2008

"Delicate citrus blossom, rose petal and honeysuckle nose. Similar delicate palate of fresh green apple skins and light floral characters."
Winestate, March/April 2007

"This is clean and fresh with some pleasing fruity characters."
Peter Forrestal, Quaff 2007

"Chock full of tropical fruits with a creamy passionfruit aroma. Nice easy drinking with a crisp acid finish."
Crackers in a box by Ray Jordan, West Australian, 14 December 2004

"A tight, crisp varietal that smells of blackcurrants and plums, with more plums showing up on the very flavoursome palate."
Winestate, Cask Wines, March/April 2008

"Of the three red casks rated good [in Quaff 2007], this is my favourite. It's more perfumed and juicier, ripe but not overripe, showing red berry and plum flavours, good concentration and (importantly) balance. The tannins are finer and more approachable. Close to Bloody Good."
Peter Forrestal, Quaff 2007

One of the Best Cask Reds Under $15
"Sweetish nose and palate, some spice, fair balance."
Graeme Phillips, Hobart Mercury, 12 July 2006


"Ripe porty fruit nose and attractive, lifted red fruit flavours on a well-constructed palate. Has plenty of length."
Winestate, Feature Tasting - Cask Wines, April 2005.

"A herbaceous, slightly green, but well-balanced wine. Supple, sweet strawberry and vanilla palate with firm, chewy tannins."
Winestate, Feature Tasting - Cask Wines, March / April 2004

"Looking at my notes, I'm thinking that this might be my preferred De Bortoli red cask. It's a touch smoother than the others, with lively, spicy, redcurrant and dark cherry flavours and good balanced tannins."
Peter Forrestal, Quaff 2009

3/5
"At the risk of faint praise a drinkable dry red for backyard barbies and pizzas."
Paddy Kendler, Best In a Box, Herald Sun, 13 May 2008


"Pleasant, oak-derived aromas mixed with crushed berries. Nice palate weight with a good balance of flavours. Well structured, with a long, lingering finish."
Winestate, Cask Wines, March/April 2008

One of the Best Cask Reds Under $15
"Fleshy and fruity, chocolate, plum and lifted savoury characters, reasonable length and finish."
Graeme Phillips, Hobart Mercury, 12 July 2006

"Berry and plum fruit aromas backed by subtle vanilla and chocolate accents. The flavours show ripe fruit and sweet oak notes with a soft texture on the palate."
Winestate, Feature Tasting - Cask Wines, March / April 2006

"A delightful red with attractive red berry flavours - some dark plums, perhaps mulberries, red cherries - quite rich and concentrated, smooth, almost fleshy. A good drink at a great price. Bloody Good."
Quaff 2006 - The best 400 wines in Australian under $15 by Peter Forrestal

"Stewed fruit on the nose and ripe and plummy in the mouth with grippy tannins and nice lingering finish."
Winestate, Feature Tasting - Cask Wines, April 2005

"The equivalent of 2 2/3 750 ml bottles. Intense garnet colour a trim; it’s chocolately, sweet, and full-bodied, with a whack of oak which matches the powerful raspberry and blackberry fruit. Quintessential jammy over-the-top style; somewhat hot finish. And the spigot doesn’t leak! If you like the odd glass of red wine, this packaging keeps the product fresh for weeks after opening, and (granted you like this style!) I’ve never tasted a better bargain in boxed red wine than De Bortoli’s Chateau Cardboard. This package wins a Grape Expectation Award for plainly stamping a 'Best Before' date on the top of the box."
John Rempel, Grape Expectations, Winnipeg Free Press, Canada, 5 January 2005

"Shows a degree of mature leathery ripe fruit. Soft and delicious drinking with a fleshy plum mouth feel."
Crackers in a box by Ray Jordan, West Australian, 14 December 2004

"If you have just started reading this year's guide, get ready to read the name De Bortoli quite a lot. They are finding it incredibly difficult at the moment to make anything other than good wine at good prices. Now that may not sound too difficult but trust me after tasting 2000 wines, there ain't that many of them and thank God for De Bortoli. Their talent stretches to nice, reliable, easy drinking shiraz casks like this. Perfect with pizza."
Don’t Buy Wine Without Me 2005 - Stuart Gregor

"Subdued nose of blackberry fruit. A sweeter but balanced palate. Good intensity and weight."
Winestate, Feature Tasting - Cask Wines, March 2003

"An inky black, dark and brooding wine. Porty tobacco bouquet. Lovely jammy palate with hard, angular tannins typical of the variety."
Winestate, Feature Tasting - Cask Wines, March / April 2004

88 points
"If you want something different in a cask, check out this Riverina drop with its rich berry fruit and a bit of spice. Ideal with a hearty beef or lamb casserole."
Mike Frost, The Courier-Mail, 6 May 2003

"Looking at the De Bortoli casks in the cold light of day, I'd probably be making a choice between the two varietal ones - so it comes down to whether you prefer merlot or shiraz. This has lively, dark berry, plummy flavours and reasonably balanced tannins. Good with food."
Peter Forrestal, Quaff 2009


"My my, the De Bortolis can do it in cardboard as well as glass - what next? Tetra-Pak? (Well, maybe - I read the French are at work as we speak developing a wine product that comes in a milk carton. Export only, of course.) This is a nice, simple, fruity merlot. It doesn't tax your brain, it's just a nice Tuesday-night feet-on-the-couch kind of tipple. And it's pretty good on cornflakes too."
Stuart Gregor, Don't buy wine without me 2007

"De Bortoli casks are a brand that both retailers and consumers know and trust. De Bortoli casks continuously perform outstandingly well in tastings and are widely recognised as amongst the best you can buy. For example, the Premium Reserve Merlot 2 litre was awarded Cask Wine of the Year 2006 in Quaff, written by wine writer Peter Forrestal."
Liquor Watch, March 2006

CASK WINE OF THE YEAR
"The competition was hot this year - with four outstanding reds jousting for the ‘Platinum Pillow’. I can’t remember seeing such good-quality cask wines before: that glut is doing consumers of red casks a very big favour. The De Bortoli Merlot has lovely red berry aromas, is soft, round and full-bodied, smooth and pleasant in the mouth and has a nicely balanced finish. The fruit and the oak are in harmony, the tannins are restrained. If you are thinking about whooshability - and who isn’t? - then this merlot has it by the bucket (or cask) full. Bloody Good."
Quaff 2006, The best 400 wines in Australia under $15 by Peter Forrestal


"Fresh, vibrant red berry fruit. Pleasant spicy characters. Nice chalky tannins. A touch phenolic at the end."
Winestate, Feature Tasting - Cask Wines, April 2005

"Pretty and soft stewed plum fruit nose. Earthy, stewed berry palate showing hints of mint and cigar box underneath. Drying tannins."
Winestate, Feature Tasting - Cask Wines, March / April 2004

"There is plenty to like about this smooth, rich, sweet-fruited merlot. It has lively plummy flavours, good depth, moderate tannins anda sweet softness on the finish."
Quaff 2004, The Best Value Wines In Australia, Max Allen & Peter Forrestal

"Restrained, smooth and pleasant drinking, with some gentle raisiny characters."
Peter Forrestal, Quaff 2009


"Quite a heady nose, with aromas of dried raisins and roasted nuts. Flavoursome nutty/toffee palate is long, rich and intense."
Winestate, Cask Wines, March/April 2008


"An excellent class with one wine worthy of bottling - a big surprise! Light amber in colour. Rich aromas of caramelised apricots, raisins and hazelnuts. The intensely flavoured palate has very good balance to the sweet golden syrup and dried fig characters, with lots of nutty complexity showing through on the finish."
Winestate, Feature Tasting - Cask Wines, March / April 2006

"Subdued spirity/toast nose. Flavours of muscatel fruit and raisins. Quite hot and acidic. Easy drinking style."
Winestate, Feature Tasting - Cask Wines, April 2005

"Very ripe, grapey nose - a hint of rancio. Nice aged characters and attractive complexity on a developed, drier-style, palate.Excellent value."
Winestate, Feature Tasting - Cask Wines, March / April 2004

"There are some clean, lightly grassy flavours here and so this cask is pleasant, easy drinking."
Peter Forrestal, Quaff 2009

"From the producers hell-bent on delivering top value, this cask has all the best sales pitch splashed across it: 'New, new, new, premium reserve.' In the glass, it has quite a developed golden hue, with decent lift and lemon freshness as well as a crisp acidity and finish. Just fine."
Stuart MacGill, Adelaide Advertiser, 23 January 2008