Yarra Valley (5) Yarra Yering
Website: https://www.yarrayering.com/
One of Australia’s vinous treasures, Yarra Yering was set up by the eccentric genius Dr Bailey Carrodus, who died in 2008. Back in 1973 Carrodus produced the first commercial vintage from the Yarra since 1922.
I visited with winemaker Sarah Crowe on a gorgeous early summer day. We spent some time in the vineyard, had a look round the vineyard, and then had a look around the winery. The tea chest fermenters devised by Bailey are still used today for the reds, and they are hand-plunged twice a day during fermentation.
The fruit is all hand-picked and goes into the cool room in plastic Naly bins, and then after destemming it goes into the tea chest fermenters. There is no must pumping, and no refrigeration in the winery.
At one of the dinners during the 2009 Landmark Australia Tutorial, James Halliday shared some thoughts about these remarkable wines. ‘The vines are totally dry grown blocks, and look pretty dreadful by the time the grapes are picked,’ he revealed, ‘but the wines are wonderful most years.’ He mentioned that up till 1980 there were some problems with volatile acidity, which James thinks was because Bailey was imitating Max Schubert who used to leave bungs out of casks to cut back overly rich fruit with some VA. ‘Some of Bailey’s early vintages were pretty like vinegar.’
Carrodus’ winemaking was quite simple, and a little quirky at times. He processed half a ton of grapes at a time, into a lined tea chest (these are the ones that are still used today). He did everything himself. The distinctive labels were hand drawn by Bailey’s partner, who predeceased him.
‘Tasting the wines out of cask they are opulent and magnificent,’ says James, ‘but sometimes they didn’t make that to bottle. I have a feeling they could have been greater than they are.’ Total production was around 8000 cases each year of a number of wines, with the range expanding over time.
Carrodus’ style was one favouring lighter wines with good acidity, and this has continues to this day. The vines are unirrigated and low-yielding. And the wines that come from them have demonstrated a remarkable capacity for ageing. There’s some variation: not all wines have been great. But the good ones are brilliant, and I have been fortunate enough to try quite a few.
In addition to the Claret-style No 1 and the Rhône-style No 2, there’s also a Shiraz, Underhill, from a distinctive block, and a Pinot Noir. Small quantities of Viognier are also made. The vineyard has grown to 90 acres from the original 30, but it is still dry grown.
In 2009 the winery was bought by Kaesler wines frome the Barossa but they kept Yarra Yering the way it was, in the spirit of Carrodus.
This is one of the warmer sites in the Yarra, which is why they have quite a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon. ‘Because we are a warmer site I’m trying to chase freshness,’ says Sarah. ‘I’m trying to keep freshness and energy.’
Sarah came here in 2013, taking over from Paul Bridgman, who became winemaker in 2009. Mark Haisma was involved here until 2009. Dr Carrodus died in 2008.
There are now two owners – Kaesler in the Barossa, where Ed Peter is the majority shareholder, and Richard Magides. They met together when they were working in Singapore – previously they’d been customers of Dr Carrodus. They leave Andrew George (vineyard manager) and Sarah to run it. The idea is to stay respectful of the brand and make great wine.
THE WINES
Yarra Yering Chardonnay 2022 Yarra Valley, Australia
13.5% alcohol. P58, whatever that is. Mix of wild and selected yeasts, no malolactic, in barrel for 8 months Fresh, fine and textured with ripe pear, lemon and pineapple fruit. There’s nice concentration and intensity here with a slight saltiness on the finish. Beautiful fruit focus and purity, with some pineapple and nice sourness on the finish. 94/100
Yarra Yering Chardonnay 2019 Yarra Valley, Australia
13% alcohol. Lean, taut and fine with lovely spicy detail. Has some pear and citrus with a bit of spiciness. Lovely weight here: lemony and refined. 95/100
Yarra Yering Pinot Noir 2022 Yarra Valley, Australia
Four clones – MV4, 5 and 6 and a D clone – all interplanted. They are picked by vine age. 10% whole bunch. Floral and expressive on the nose with sweet, soft strawberry and cherry fruit with a lovely silky texture and fine spices. Lovely sweet core to this, but finishes with some nice spiciness and a sappy green note. Such lovely balance here: this is expressive and easy, but with a twist of seriousness. 93/100
Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No 3 2022 Yarra Valley, Australia
Touriga Nacional, Tinto Cão, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Amarela, Alvarelho, Sousão. Lovely concentration and intensity here with vivid plum, raspberry and cherry fruit, with great purity, and a bit of spicy structure. Fresh and supple with lovely meaty undercurrents and a bit of crunchy structure on the finish. Lovely tannins here. It has a wide dynamic range. 95/100
Yarra Yering New Territories 2023 Yarra Valley, Australia
Syrah with Tinto Cão and Touriga Nacional. Pure, juicy and vivid with a core of sweet, fresh fruit showing nice structural framing. The fruit here is fantastic: it’s plush and alluring but with some raspberry crunch under the sweet fruit. So much drinkability here but with a hint of seriousness. There’s such vivid fruit, and also some structure on the finish. 94/100
Yarra Yering Underhill 2022 Yarra Valley, Australia
100% Shiraz. This is the red wine that has evolved the most since Sarah Crowe arrived. Dr Carrodus used to destem and add the stalks back in a stalk basket. She’s stopped this mostly now. It’s fresh and supple with lovely bright cherry and raspberry fruit with a hint of pepper and nice subtle green hints, with nice acidity and a bit of tannin crunch. Good tannins here with some presence on the bright finish. 95/100
Yarra Yering Underhill 2018 Yarra Valley, Australia
There’s a savoury, meaty character under the fruit on the nose, with a touch of mint. The palate is ripe but fresh with nice spicy detail, a hint of ferrous character and some subtle earthiness. Finishes fresh and a little clipped, but there’s really nice dark fruit character here. 94/100
Yarra Yering Underhill 1994 Yarra Valley, Australia
Cork sealed, obviously. This is when the stalks were still being added back. Earth, coffee and iodine with sweet cherries and berries. Has some ashy hints and a sweet core to the palate, with some tomato soup notes as well as stewed raspberries. This is now fully mature at age 30, and offers lovely savoury complexity as well as fruit. 92/100
Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No 2 2022 Yarra Valley, Australia
Shiraz/Viognier blend (just Viognier skins, which are frozen until the Shiraz is ready), with Mourvèdre, sometimes with Marsanne. 30% new oak (Underhill is 15%). Lovely intensity here with sleek, ripe, peppery, slightly meaty berry fruits, with some floral cherry fruit. There’s a lovely fine-grained structure to this wine which shows amazing freshness allied to some power, and it’s delicious now but should age gracefully. 95/100
Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No 2 2018 Yarra Valley, Australia
Fruity, supple and expressive with some floral cherry fruit, some wild strawberry and lovely fine tannins. There’s a bit of development, with some savoury hints and some undergrowth, and the fruit has softened a little. Very expressive with nice peppery hints around the fringes. This is really nice. 94/100
Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No 2 2016 Yarra Valley, Australia
14.2% alcohol. This is a blend of Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Marsanne and Viognier. Rounded, supple and elegant with beautiful concentration of fruit. Some structure here, and built in an ageworthy style, but already delivering pleasure. 95/100
Yarra Yering Agincourt Cabernet Malbec 2022 Yarra Valley, Australia
Vivid, pure blackcurrant fruit with some green hints in the background. Lovely tannins here sit under the sweet, textural fruit. Currently firm and a little green (but in a nice way), finishing with nice tannin. So much latent potential here with great definition. 95/100
Yarra Yering Agincourt Cabernet Malbec 2018 Yarra Valley, Australia
Still fresh and focused, with a grippy edge to the sweet blackcurrant and ripe berry fruits. Has some noticeable tannin, and an appealing green hint. Juicy and bright on the finish. There’s real potential here: it has softened a little but it’s still youthful. 94/100
Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No 1 2022 Yarra Valley, Australia
Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Concentrated and tightly wound, but still with some ripeness and generosity. Lovely blackcurrant fruit with some cherry and raspberry too, with texture and silkiness, and the dense fruit covering over the tannins. This has so much latent potential: it’s a really amazing wine. 96/100
Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No 2 2018 Yarra Valley, Australia
This has lovely fruit with blackcurrant and cherry, as well as some strawberry, with nice green hints and a lovely energy and flow across the palate. This is bright and vivid, but also dense and with some fruit sweetness. Lovely balance and weight here, and this is ageing slowly and beautifully. 95/100
Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No 1 2017 Yarra Valley, Australia
13.5% alcohol. Fresh, vivid, gravelly and grainy with nice concentration of fruit. Purposeful and restrained with good structure and concentration. 95/100
YARRA VALLEY
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Oakridge
- 3 Tarrawarra
- 4 Jayden Ong Wines
- 5 Yarra Yering
- 6 Bobar with Tom Belford
- 7 Giant Steps
- 8 Mac Forbes
- 9 Rob Dolan
- 10 Timo Meyer
- 11 Luke Lambert
- 12 Other Yarra wines tasted
