Yarra Yering, Dry Red No.2, 2015, Yarra Valley, Australia

Our View:

Yarra Yering take great pride in their viticulture and wine making. Hand picking all fruit and a constant focus on quality, delivers wines to be enjoyed now or after ageing over many years to come.

This shiraz blend is another great example of what Australia can offer - a beautifully rounded balanced and elegant wine.

The Wine:

Wine was grown in Victoria’s Yarra Valley from the mid 1800’s through to the 1920’s and was a principal export of the region. Yarra Yering's founder - Dr Bailey Carrodus - found his perfect site at the foot of the Warramate Hills and in 1969 began planting.

He named his vineyard Yarra Yering and in 1973 produced his first vintage of Dry Red Wine No.1, a Bordeaux inspired blend and Dry Red Wine No.2, a northern Rhone blend. The vineyard that would go on to become one of the best in the Yarra Valley had arrived.

The 70 acres of vines at Yarra Yering are grown without irrigation on a northerly slope at the foot of the Warramate hills. Good drainage, all day exposure to the sun, and enough elevation from the valley floor to avoid the spring frosts produces wines that are inherently balanced, precise and elegant. The yield is low, 1-2 tons per acre, resulting in fruit with great intensity and concentration of flavour and with an abundance of natural acidity.

Original 1969 plantings of Shiraz and Marsanne with additional Shiraz, Mataro & Viognier drawn from vines planted from 1984 to 1995.

Fruit was hand-picked and destemmed directly to the Yarra Yering half-tonne open-fermenters. As much whole berry as possible is retained to encourage perfume. Stalks were added back to one-third of the fermenters in order to contribute structure and aroma. The wine was aged for 15 months in French oak barriques, 40% new before blending and bottling. 

Tasting Note:

On the nose, this wine has an intense perfume, mixed berry fruits, floral notes and spice. Primary fruit on the palate leads onto savoury graphite and white pepper underpinned by stalkiness and concentrated meatiness.

The Facts:

What the critics say:

96 Points - James Halliday: 

"Fragrance and headiness, this wine exudes intense perfume, mixed berry fruits, floral notes and spice. The addition of Mataro and co-fermentation with white grapes Viognier and Marsanne intensify the Shiraz character while providing complexity, richness and generosity".