All the wines were tasted in December 2021.
Introduction
Yarra Yering is one of the three leading, long standing wineries in the Yarra Valley. The other two are Mount Mary and Yeringberg. A case also might be made on quality and longevity grounds for Wantirna Estate and more recently, Oakridge.
In an international sense, Yarra Yering’s wines – all produced from varieties grown in the Yarra Valley – are unusually diverse. Varieties planted include the traditional varieties for the Yarra of chardonnay, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon and the latter’s blending partners merlot, malbec and petit verdot. Less commonly seen but common enough in the Yarra are shiraz, viognier and semillon. We enter more exotic territory with touriga nacional and its Portuguese siblings and perhaps too, mourvèdre. The melange of varieties from Bordeaux (warm maritime climate), Burgundy (cool continental), the Douro (hot, semi arid continental) and the Rhône Valley (warm continental to Mediterranean further south) in the one place might imply a certain incoherence, but the quality achieved across the board is exceptional. The Yarra Valley itself is a mild climate that is continental in some respects with limited (but not no) maritime influence. James Halliday summarises it well as:
“Cooler than Bordeaux …, yet warmer than the more inland Burgundy.”
https://www.winecompanion.com.au/Wineries/Victoria/Yarra-Valley
Careful attention to site, a mostly agreeable cool, but not too cool, climate and an outstanding winemaker (Sarah Crowe) seemingly overcome all.
Vintage conditions
I commented on the warm 2019 Yarra Valley vintage in my reviews of Mount Mary and Yeringberg’s 2021 new releases here (subscriber only). 2020 appears to have been a challenging year in the Yarra Valley, with a variety of conditions to overcome, including a hot and dry December and wet January. That said, at least on this tasting, vintage conditions appeared to have resulted in no particular issues for Yarra Yering. The 2020 semillon chardonnay (Dry White No. 1) is chalky and refreshing, the 2019 Underhill shiraz has improved considerably to resemble a northern Rhône style and the 2020 Douro style blend is unexpectedly compelling. The 2019 vintage of Yarra Yering’s pinnacle wine, the “Dry Red No. 2” cabernet blend, is outstanding.
Detailed wine reviews follow.
Yarra Yering Dry White No.1 2020
Yarra Yering’s “Dry Red No. 1” is a novel blend of semillon and chardonnay. The former contributes 80% and the latter 20%. This blend is unusual both generally, departing from the traditional white Bordeaux style, and specifically in the sense it is not otherwise normally seen in the Yarra Valley region. It is however a success, with chardonnay providing some body and aromatics that might otherwise be filled with the more customary and fragrant sauvignon blanc. High acidity, a sauvignon blanc trademark, is amply provided by the significant semillon contribution. In the glass, the wine has aromas of cedar (fermentation in old oak) and lifted peaches and apricots. The palate is dry, the acidity high and the texture pleasingly chiselled and chalky. The wine finishes with very long length (20 seconds). While not a traditional blend, this is a very good wine. It is ready to drink now and over the next 5 or 6 years. Rating: Very Good.
Yarra Yering Chardonnay 2020
Yarra Yering’s 2020 chardonnay is sourced from their original 1969 plantings. It is a compelling wine. Its aroma is saline, reminds of white peaches and its oak contribution is restrained (30% new, 10 months in barrel). The palate is full bodied, delicate and very restrained. It has peach characters and a saline nuttiness, refreshed by chalky high acidity. Unusually for chardonnay there is no malolactic fermentation, but the acidity is not hard as a consequence and is offset by its chalky texture. The wine sits comfortably in among the modern style of chiselled and restrained cool climate Australian chardonnay. It is however a particularly good version of it, without the overt struck match characters and more obvious winemaker thumb prints. It provides outstanding drinking now and perhaps is best consumed “on its fruit” over the next 3 to 5 years. Rating: Outstanding.
Yarra Yering Pinot Noir 2020
Yarra Yering’s pinot noir is from vines planted in 1969, 1981 and 1984. Unlike Mount Mary and Yeringberg’s pinot noir, stalks were added during fermentation. Lightly coloured, the wine has aromas of ash, rhubarb, pomegranate and red fruits. The palate is supple and red fruited. Ready to drink now and over the next 4 to 7 years, this is a good pinot noir that resembles a New Zealand Martinborough style and is among the better of its peers. Rating: Good to Very Good.
Yarra Yering Merlot 2019
I understand that Yarra Yering do not regularly produce a merlot as a single variety. Few in the Yarra Valley do. Interestingly merlot in the Yea area in the hills just north of the Yarra Valley can achieve acidity and balance and slightly richer fruit, and may have more potential. This merlot has aromas of cloves, dust, capsicum and smoke, which are mostly oak derived. The tannins are medium, the acidity is fresh and the fruit is restrained. At this stage, this is a coiled merlot that needs a further 3 to 5 years of cellaring to develop and show its best and may have a best drinking window of a further decade. In terms of international style, it does not have the complex and savoury fruit character of merlot from St Emilion nor the rich plummy fruit of Napa merlot. It actually resembles a Yarra Valley cabernet in many respects. This wine may merit a higher rating with age. Rating: Good to Very Good.
Yarra Yering Dry Red No.3 2020
For the Yarra Valley, this is a very novel blend and style. The grape varieties are the traditional Portugese varieties of touriga nacional, tinta cao, tinta roriz, tinta amarela, alvarelhao and sousao. Remarkably, the wine is excellent and it is a pity only that it is so expensive at $110 per bottle. The price is presumably attributable to a tiny production scale. In Yarra Yering’s words:
“barely enough of this fruit is grown to fill a small fermenter”.
In the glass, the wine has a brooding aroma of dark fruits. The palate reminds of spice and raisins, with some softening from maturation in old oak. But its most appealing feature is the chalky medium to firm tannins that provide a sublime texture that balances the savoury dark fruit flavours. This enjoyable wine is ready to drink now and can be drunk over the next 6 to 8 years. Rating: Very Good.
Yarra Yering Underhill Shiraz 2019
Yarra Yering’s “Underhill” shiraz has improved substantially since I last tasted one. In style, it has a peppery, spicy, red fruit and plum skin aroma that is northern Rhône like. It would be labelled syrah in other markets. Stalks have been used here very effectively, providing spice without moving into overt (and in my view sometimes jarring) green rosemary bush characters. This wine can be approached now, should improve with a further 5 to 6 years of cellaring and have a best drinking window of a further 5 or so years. Rating: Very Good.
Yarra Yering Dry Red No.2 2019
Yarra Yering’s “Dry Red No. 2” is a first class blend of shiraz, viognier, mourvèdre and marsanne. It is an incremental step above the Underhill, and quite different in style. Here the shiraz expression is broody and crosses between red and black fruits and is not particularly spicy or peppery. It is one of those wines that transcends the varieties and challenges blind tasters. The quality assessment is clear however – it provides unquestionably serious drinking. Aged for 12 months in oak (30% new, French), the wine has attractive aromas of cedar, vanilla and red plums, with no edges. The palate is elegant, brooding, reminds of red plums and has long length on the finish. This wine is sufficiently balanced to approach now in its youth. Equally it could be expected to improve for a further 7 or 8 years and drink well for a further decade. Rating: Very Good to Outstanding.
Yarra Yering Dry Red No. 1 2019
My last review here is of Yarra Yering’s “Dry Red No. 1″. This is a traditional Bordeaux style blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec and petit verdot. The Dry Red No. 1 is one of Australia’s best cabernet blends, and even though it receives considerable acclaim, it is still perhaps slightly underrated. 2019 produced successful cabernets at Yarra Valley neighbours Mount Mary and Yeringerg, but in my view, this is the best of the three at this point. It opens to traditional Bordeaux style cabernet blend aromas of blackcurrant and clove. Aged for 15 months in French oak (40% new), it has firm tannins, a medium body and very long length on the finish. This outstanding wine will benefit from a further 5 years of cellaring before approaching. It should then improve over the next decade or more. Rating: Outstanding.
