Yering Station, 'Little Yering', Victoria, Shiraz

A juicy, fruity and cool-climate Shiraz, with spicy plum and blackberry fruit layered with a touch of violet and white pepper on the soft, lush palate.

Producer Note

With vines being first planted in 1838 by Scottish-born Ryrie brothers, Yering Station was the first vineyard in Victoria State. The brothers acquired 17,400 hectares and planted two grape varieties at the time - 'Black Cluster' and 'Sweet Water'. In 1850, the site was sold to a Swiss-French immigrant, Paul de Castella. He increased the vineyard by a further 20 hectares, sourcing vines from around the globe including some from Château Lafite. A jewel in the Yarra Valley crown, Yering Station produces world-class cool climate wines from its revered vineyards which famously abound with expressive varietal flavour and integrity.

Vintage

2020 was an excellent vintage. The cooler growing season, with perfect day and night temperatures allowed for lovely natural balance in the fruit. No manipulation from the vineyard crew was required: these types of vintages produce some of the best fruit the vineyard has seen.

Vineyard

Situated just 45 kilometres east of Melbourne, the Yarra Valley is a large and diverse cool-climate wine region. Its elevation spectacularly ranges from lows of 50m to heights of 1,250m, due to the influence of the Great Dividing Range. The region is characterised by significant rainfall during winter and spring, which helps to nourish the vines throughout the dry, but cool summers. The estate-grown Shiraz vines are 20- years- old and are planted in vineyards in Yarra Glen, Yering and Coldstream. An additional portion comes from Heathcote to help build a lovely chocolate complexity to the fruit. The vines are clones PT23, BVRC12, and are cane pruned and VSP trained, which suits the terroir made up of Duplex grey loam over yellow clay. The cooler site allows for excellent diurnal temperature shifts, which imbues the fruit with intense aromatics and natural, refreshing acidity.

Winemaking

The grapes were fermented for eight days in a combination of rotary and small open fermenters at controlled temperatures. with selected yeasts to retain the purity and freshness of the cool-climate fruit. Skin contact for 10 days imparted the wine with colour, flavour and fine tannins. Following fermentation, the wine underwent malolactic conversion and was matured for 18 months in seasoned French oak 500-litre puncheons and 228-litre barriques of which 10% were new.

Tasting Note

A juicy, fruity and cool-climate Shiraz, with spicy plum and blackberry fruit layered with a touch of violet and white pepper on the soft, lush palate.

Grape 

Shiraz 99%, Viognier 1%