Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No. 2 2020

The Yarra Valley in Victoria, Australia produced wine from the mid-1800s to the 1920s. In 1969, Dr Bailey Carrodus re-established winemaking in the area. He completed degrees in horticulture and winemaking and studied in France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy. Dr Carrodus found a vineyard site in the Yarra Valley and produced wine in the style he loved. After his passing, the vineyard was sold to two businessmen who continue to operate it with the same philosophy. The current winemaker, Sarah Crowe, was named James Halliday’s 2017 Winemaker of the Year and focuses on producing high-quality wine. At Yarra Yering, all fruit is hand-picked in the cool of the morning into 10kg picking buckets and delivered directly to the winery. The fruit is then sorted and either destemmed or crushed into traditional tea chest 0.5-tonne open-fermenters. Depending on the variety, stalks may be added back during the fermentation stage in baskets for easy removal when there is just enough stalk tannin present. The 70 acres of vines at Yarra Yering are grown without irrigation on a northerly slope at the foot of the Warramate hills. The vines benefit from good drainage, all-day exposure to the sun, and enough elevation from the valley floor to avoid spring frosts. This produces wines that are inherently balanced, precise, and elegant. The low yield of 1-2 tons per acre results in fruit with great intensity and concentration of flavour, as well as an abundance of natural acidity. Yarra Yering’s Dry Red Wine No. 2 2020 is a blend of Shiraz (96%), Mataro (3%), and Viognier (1%). The Shiraz vines were originally planted in 1969, with additional plantings in the 1990s, while the Mataro and Viognier were drawn from vines planted between 1984 and 1995. The fruit is hand-picked, sorted, and destemmed directly into Yarra Yering’s half-tonne open-fermenters, with as much whole berry as possible retained to encourage perfume. Some fermenters had frozen Viognier skins added to the bottom. The wine is aged for 15 months in French oak barriques, 30% new, before blending and bottling.This fragrant wine is approachable when young, but with bottle maturation, it evolves into a beautifully complex wine. With a proven track record, it will continue to evolve for over 20 years under suitable cellaring conditions. Yarra Yering’s Dry Red Wine No. 2 2020 is a complex and layered wine, with a fragrance that is a blend of violets, plums, savoury spices, and a hint of bramble and five spice. The wine is moderate in weight, with summer pudding fruits in all colours, providing a delightful flavour interest. Cigar box and cardamom spice lend intrigue, and firm yet fine tannins ably support the fruit, while texture drives the palate. The Finer Details Style – Red Wine Varietal – 96% Shiraz, 3% Mataro, 1%Viognier Country – Australia Region – Yarra Valley, Victoria Vintage – 2020 Bottle Size – 750ml ABV – 13.5%