YARRA
YERING
Yarra
Valley winery that's one of Australia's icons
Website:
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.
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. 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 is one favouring lighter
wines with good acidity. 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 70 acres, but it is still dry grown.
While the wines can be a little inconsistent, when they perform they
are brilliant. At a recent tasting, the 1980 No 2 and 1989 No 1 were
on superb form, showing beautiful purity and elegance. The winery
was bought by Kaesler wines in the Barossa in 2009; they intend to
keep Yarra Yering the way it was, in the spirit of Carrodus. New
winemaker Paul Bridgeman was mentored by Bailey Carrodus, and has
carried on making wines in the Yarra Yering style.
The
wines below were tasted on several different occasions, and date of
tasting is marked in brackets (month/year).
THE WINES
Yarra Yering Pinot Noir 2011 Yarra
Valley, Australia
Pale-ish colour. Sweet cherry and berry fruits nose is floral
and herby with some undergrowth notes. Sweet, ripe, silky palate is
warm and spicy with a bit of grip and nice spicy notes. Distinctive
and quite fine. 93/100 (10/13)
Yarra Yering Dry Red No 2 2007 Yarra
Valley, Australia
A Shiraz/Viognier blend. Sweet, pure nose: fine and expressive
with sweet cherry and plum fruit. Real elegance here. The palate is
sweet and smooth with nice finesse. Warm with silky structure and
subtle meaty notes. Lovely finesse. 94/100 (10/13)
Yarra Yering Underhill Shiraz 2007
Yarra Valley, Australia
Tarry, slightly reductive nose, which shows herbs, cherries,
spice and fine fruitiness. An elegant style. The palate is warm and
rich but quite fine with nice texture and some density. Lovely
rich-styled wine. 94/100
(10/13)
Yarra Yering Dry Red No 1 2005 Yarra
Valley, Australia
A Bordeaux-style blend. Sweet, warm, spicy and aromatic with
lovely expressive cherry and plum fruit, as well as a hint of
gravel. The palate is warm and textured with just a touch of
greenness and some herbs and undergrowth in the background. Good
structure allied to real finesse. 95/100 (10/13)
1989
Yarra Yering Dry Red Number 1 Cabernet Sauvignon, Yarra Valley
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
Lovely evolved, earthy, sweet red berry fruits here. Quite rounded
with lovely balance. Smooth, elegant and pure, and evolving
beautifully with blackcurrant, cherry and blackberry jam notes. Just
beautiful. 94/100 (06/09)
1997
Yarra Yering Dry Red Number 1 Cabernet Sauvignon, Yarra Valley
Firm, spicy, earthy nose with nice savouriness. The palate is
fresh and spicy with lovely structure to the pure blackcurrant
fruit. Very fresh with lovely brightness and good acidity.
Deliciously vivid. 93/100 (06/09)
1980
Yarra Yering Dry Red Number 2 Shiraz, Yarra Valley
Shiraz, Viognier and Marsanne. Warm, spicy, earthy, lifted nose
with a chocolatey richness. The palate is really rich and dense with
sweet, spicy, earthy fruit. Really bold and intense. 94/100 (06/09)
1994
Yarra Yering Dry Red Number 2 Shiraz, Yarra Valley
Quite green on the nose with fresh, sappy, spicy notes. The
palate is savoury with a greenness to the earthy black fruits.
Perhaps a bit too green? 87/100 (06/09)
2004 Yarra Yering Dry Red No 2, Yarra
Valley
Lovely sweet open nose with bright red fruits. Aromatic. The
palate is supple with nice sweet red fruit and a bit of meatiness,
as well as some spicy warmth. Forward but with depth and elegance.
92/100 (10/07)
2004 Yarra Yering Dry Red No 1, Yarra
Valley
Very earthy, spicy, gravelly edge to the nose which shows bright
blackcurrant fruit. The palate is spicy with richness to the red and
black fruit countered by some earthy structure. Lovely wine with
distinctive sweet fruitiness on the finsh. 92/100 (10/07)
Yarra Yering Underhill Shiraz 2004,
Yarra Valley
Really aromatic mélange of sweet red fruits and savoury
herbiness. Complex. The palate is soft, sweetly fruited and elegant
with a lovely intensity and some meaty, spicy notes. Lovely. 93/100
(10/07)
UK
agent: Carte Blanche
See
also:
Landmark
Australia Tutorial
Yarra
Valley series
Wines
tasted as indicated
Find these wines with wine-searcher.com
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