Power and elegance…

Each year we release our very best wine as flagship Reserves and today, we are thrilled to release those of our exceptional Vintage 2022. Only the most premium fruit is channelled into this collection, meaning some years there may be one sole standout wine. This year, our Vintage 2022 Flagship wines include our Reserve Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz Viognier.

Vintage 2022

The 2022 Vintage for Yering Station, as for much of Victoria, was marred by a difficult cool and wet spring. Particularly so in October where we had over double the average monthly rainfall. This made for poor flowering and fruit set, resulting in our crops being down by 60% at the get go. A mild to warm January followed with a helpful burst of rain by the end of the month which topped up soils nicely for a very dry February (only 1mm fell).

Harvest began in the Yarra on the 25th of February with some brilliant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, mostly all off before the first major rain event on the 5th of March. This set up the remainder of the month with mostly dry and mild conditions, with cool nights, seeing the Shiraz and Cabernet into optimal maturity. Stylistically, these Reserves show their colours through the lens of another La Nina growing season, with lots of perfume and flavour, bright, vibrant palates and a subtle increase in structural density driven by the lower crop levels.

2022 Reserve Chardonnay

The blend was barrel selected from two different vineyards, our block Y28 from the Yering Station vineyard and from grower Copperhead vineyard in Coldstream. Both are Mendoza clone and were hand harvested and whole bunch pressed. The juice was then fermented with solids in French Oak 500L puncheons (14% new), the majority using wild yeast for fermentation. MLF was avoided and the wines were matured on their gross less for 10 months and then another 5 months with lees in tank after blending. The 2022’s have a beautiful density to them, with this Chardonnay showing beautiful texture and poise on the palate, along with the white florals, fruit power and savoury elements we so love from these two vineyards.

Colour: Pale straw gold.

Nose: White blossom, crushed cashews and hazelnuts with white nectarine and mandarin fruits.

Palate: A beautiful, textured silken and poised palate. Full of juicy peach, nectarine, almond praline and toasty French oak highlights. Flavour and texture glide effortlessly across the palate thanks to the bright, mineral acidity which provides the backbone of this wine’s structure, carrying each element through to a long finish.

Cellaring: Drinking beautifully now but will also reward patient cellaring over the next 10+ years.

2022 Reserve Pinot Noir

Barrel selected from 7 different parcels, with the resulting blend being a majority from blocks Y06 & Y07 at Yering Station and again from the Copperhead vineyard in Coldstream. Gravity fed handling of grapes, fermented in small open top fermenters were gently hand plunged or pumped over accordingly. Barrel matured in 500L French Oak puncheons (10% new) for 10 months. Through blending we seek a harmonious balance of the inherent intricate detail that each parcel of fruit, and barrel shows. Bringing together a core of ripe cherry fruit and silky tannin, that Y06 and Y07 does so well, with lovely perfumed and whole bunch highlights from Copperhead drives the body of the wine. Other barrels were chosen for their darker, brooding elements and their spice.

Colour: Light garnet red.

Nose: Crushed strawberries, ripe cherries and delicate pink florals dance around a complex line of freshly tilled earth.

Palate: Pretty red fruits fill the front of the palate which extends to reveal darker, more brooding elements. Lovely, fragrant spices build along with the gently firm yet supple tannin profile. The finish is expansive; full of complexity, energy and deep satisfaction.

Cellaring: Drinking beautifully now but will also reward patient cellaring over the next 10+ years.

2022 Reserve Shiraz Viognier

Another beautiful vintage of Yarra Valley Shiraz, 60% of which comes from Block C04 at the Carr Vineyard in Coldstream. C04 is 2 acre patch in the middle of 6 acre vineyard, identified and kept separate for its thinner top soil. This patch always drives a deep and dark fruited wine with beautiful warm spice and structural tannin. The remainder of the blend is barrel selected from the other blocks at Carrs along with a splash from Warramunda Estate’s Best clone Shiraz. The parcels of fruit were co fermented with 3% Viognier picked on demand from our Yering Station and Spring Lane vineyard, which lends a delicious velvet like texture to the tannin, along with highlighting the lovely spice and dark floral characters. The wine was barrel matured in 228L French Oak (26% new) for 18 months.

Colour: Deep, dark ruby.

Nose: Blackberry, blood plum, liquorice, five spice and polished leather.

Palate: Dark cherries, sour plums and ripe raspberries shine bright. Soon after savoury elements begin to evolve; graphite, black olive, warm spices and oak toast. These build alongside a tannin profile that flows through velvet and velour arriving at a crescendo of balanced fruit, spice and texture which drive through the long finish.

Cellaring: Drinking beautifully now but will also reward patient cellaring over the next 10+ years.

 

A notable exclusion from the lineup is a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. While we made some beautiful Cabernets in 2022, detailed and elegant, our winemaking team made the decision to release what could’ve been a Reserve as a Single Vineyard, as the wine did not possess the full weight nor power our collectors expect of Yering Station Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

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Getting Started

February 15th, 2024

In the lead up to Vintage 2024, our high-vigour vines set the stage for phenomenal winter pruning – providing perfect cane pruning material. The timely moderate temperatures during flowering and fruit set throughout October and November created ideal conditions for the development of quality fruit. Despite facing challenges over the spring and summer, namely high rainfall and humidity, our dedicated vineyard team worked tirelessly around the clock.

A Chardonnay hand-pick of Mendoza clone from our expressive Y02 block marked our first harvest of the season on February 9th. A week or so earlier than expected thanks to the consistently warm temperatures over the past few weeks. Long-term forecasts predict ideal vintage weather to continue – warm days and cool nights. Here’s to an excellent season ahead. It certainly looks like the year of Chardonnay and Pinot.

Wrapping Up

April 5th

April 4th marked the official wrap on Vintage 2024. In what transpired to be a very compressed season, our reds came off thick and fast; Shiraz, Cabernet, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo looking as beautiful as ever.

Our last picks went to Viognier, for our much-adored Cane Cut Viognier, a small-make exclusive to our Cellar Door.

“Fruit quality is looking really fantastic. Some excellent Chardonnay and Pinots are in the bag. Shiraz and Cabernet look very promising also; plenty of ripe fruit, silky tannin and flavour.”⁠

Brendan Hawker, Chief Winemaker

The Team

Without our brilliant vineyard and winery teams, we would not be able to bring our iconic wines to you each vintage. Thank you to everyone involved, from our Chief Winemaker Brendan Hawker, Chief Viticulturalist Rod Harrison, our senior winemakers, cellar hands, and everybody else that dedicate time and effort to the trade. Here’s to Vintage 2024!

 

Showcasing terroir

We’re delighted to present three new vintage releases from our Single Vineyard collection, including the addition of a Cabernet Sauvignon from our esteemed Spring Lane vineyard.

With all Single Vineyard wines, when a particular parcel is appreciated by our winemakers as unique or special, it is kept separate from blends and celebrated in its own right. Single Vineyard wines may not always represent our traditional house style, but rather showcase our unique Yarra Valley terroir and all it has to offer.

Let the wines speak for themselves…

2023 Y28 Block Chardonnay

A special parcel of Chardonnay from our Y28 block, typically responsible for producing Reserve-level Chardonnay. This wine is an expression of purity and finesse, showcasing the terroir of our estate’s Y28 vineyard. With a westerly facing slope and 75m elevation, this site produces a wine that demonstrates flavours of yellow stone fruits, crushed cashew and slight flint notes, bound in a beautifully fine and tense acidity.

 

2023 Laura Barnes Pinot Noir

Laura Barnes was the first Yarra Valley vineyard bought by the proprietors of Yering Station, the Rathbone family, named after their adored grandmother. The 2023 Laura Barnes is expressive of this significant site, displaying savoury foraged mushroom notes, with beautifully ripe cherry lifting the back of the palate.

 

2022 Spring Lane Cabernet Sauvignon 

The 2022 marks the first Single Vineyard release from our Spring Lane site since 2012. The culmination of terroir, winemaking and the vintage conditions of 2022 culminated to produce an earthen Cabernet Sauvignon that displays bright and crunchy red currants with lifts of plump blueberries, spice and oak nuances and fine tannins.

 

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We are proud to announce that we have ranked #34 in The Real Review’s Top Wineries Australia, 2024.

The Real Review Top Wineries Certificate is awarded to a select group of wineries that consistently produce excellent wine. This year, The Real Review tweaked their algorithm to give more acknowledgement to wineries that make more than one grape variety to an outstanding level.

Of the approximate 400 wineries involved, Yering Station were acknowledged for moving up an impressive amount in this year’s rankings.

Discover Our Top Scorers

 

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Amanda Flynn | Winemaker

This International Women’s Day, we’re shining a spotlight on Amanda Flynn – one of our esteemed winemakers here at Yering Station. Join us in honouring her remarkable journey and invaluable contributions to our winemaking. Amanda’s dedication and expertise are extraordinary; she exemplifies strength, passion and sincerity in all that she does.

Introduction

Studying oenology at CSU and working alongside winemakers at Dominique Portet and Peter Mackey, she honed her craft. Amanda has also spent time winemaking and managing viticulture on an 8-acre property in West Gippsland. Completing AWRI AWAC and judging Australian wine shows further enriched her expertise. As a winemaker at Yering Station, Amanda strives to embody the purest expression of our cool climate fruit. Day to day, Amanda is responsible for quality control in the winery, along with contributing toward blending decision-making, management of workflow and staff development.

On being a woman in wine 

Amanda describes the experience as “fantastic. It is such an exciting and engaging industry to be a part of. We are seeing more and more women in higher management levels across both the winery and viticultural sectors. Pushing and changing the old way of doing things. Bringing a different perspective to the table.”

“Build connections. Keep investing in yourself to continue to learn, there are many great opportunities available. And most importantly… Have fun!”

Family values

“Harvest is difficult on all families across all agricultural sectors, but trying to fulfil your role as mum as well as a winemaker can be particularly difficult. I’m very lucky that I have support during the harvest period.

Both of my children have grown up in the winery. They have been in the vineyards, racking barrels, helping on the bottling line. The pandemic meant that my daughter had her science classes performing enzymatic testing for me. They both learn a lot during a day at work with mum, and they love being a part of ‘the crew’.”

Amanda’s inspiration

“I have three women who have been a great help and inspiration over the course of my career.

The first was Sandra de Pury of Yeringberg. Sandra was the first person to employ me as a cellar hand for the 2014 harvest. Since then, she has continued to be a great support of mine in both career and personal life.

The second is Janine Miller – I worked with Janine at a large contract facility in the Yarra Valley and she has taught me some of the best cellar craft I know. I would hands down say she is the most competent and professional cellar master I’ve worked with.

The third is Sam Connew from Stargazer – Sam was my mentor as part of the Wine Industry Mentor Program. She has given me some invaluable advice and has been a great sounding board. We also extend our heartfelt appreciation to all of the wonderful women who contribute to the success of Yering Station – across our vineyards, winery, administration, hospitality and corporate operations. Today and every day, we recognize your contributions to our team and industry. Thank you for your inspiring presence.”

To the women of Yering Station

We also extend our heartfelt appreciation to all of the wonderful women who contribute to the success of Yering Station – across our vineyards, winery, administration, hospitality and corporate operations. Today and every day, we recognize your contributions to our team and industry. Thank you for your inspiring presence.

Introducing Small Batch Gin.

A creative exploration, and our first-ever Gin release.

 

Rooted in our rich Yarra Valley terroir where our centuries-long journey began, this exciting release represents the values that steer our present-day vision — a harmonious fusion of tradition and innovation.

A grape’s bold leap

As it goes in wine, our team relentlessly drove this creative exploration with an unerring pursuit of excellence. Now extending our craft into the delicate artistry of distillation, this release represents a new chapter in our storybook.

 

An ode to our regional home

Honouring our incredible terroir, our Small Batch Gin is made from our Yarra Valley grapes, as well as distilled and bottled locally. We are equal parts proud and grateful to be able to craft a spirit that captures the true essence of our regional home and present it to the world.

 

01, our first batch release

Our first release celebrates the citrus notes eminent in our cool climate terroir – the nurturing ground for our Chardonnay. These vibrant citrus characters take centre stage; kumquat, lemon verbena, juicy ruby red grapefruit and the only rind of Meyer lemons. Rounded out with lifted notes of spicy pink peppercorn, orange blossom, ginger and vanilla. Enjoy this special release with your favourite dry tonic or sipped on its own.

Tasting Notes

Orange blossoms, cumquats, lemon verbena, the oily rind of Meyer lemons and juicy ruby red grapefruits. This beautifully aromatic gin is complimented with lifted notes of spicy pink peppercorn, ginger and vanilla. To be enjoyed with your favourite dry tonic or sipping on its own, ideally on a long warm summer evening | as described by our winemakers

 

Learn more

Yering Station is a Certified Member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia.

“With a commitment to land comes responsibility. We’re very proud of our efforts in this space. We believe that sustainability isn’t just a goal, it’s a journey. One we embrace wholeheartedly, integrating, and continuing to integrate, sustainable practices into all facets of our operations.”

Rod Harrison, Chief Viticulturist.

Yering Station is proud to announce Sustainable Winegrowing Australia member certification for both our vineyards and our winery. Sustainable Winegrowing Australia is Australia’s national program for grapegrowers and winemakers committed to making sustainable wine.

The voluntary program takes a holistic approach to managing, supporting, and promoting sustainability and is modelled on global best practices and aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with progress towards these monitored annually. Sustainable Winegrowing Australia is a collaboration between The Australian Wine Research Institute, Wine Australia and Australian Grape & Wine.

“Our sustainability commitments are unerring, with our team constantly seeking out ways to implement new and innovative sustainability practises in our vineyards and our winery. We look forward to maintaining this important work, as part of the continuous improvement built into the SWA program.”

Brendan Hawker, Chief Winemaker

Read on to discover our ongoing sustainability commitments we employ across our estate.

It’s here. Starward Whisky x Yering Station: A Collaboration with Pinot Noir Wine Barrels. ⁠

Meet the Pinot Noir Cask Single Malt Whisky in a 1L bottle format, finished in our Yarra Valley Pinot Noir barrels. ⁠

Bursting with the flavours of Victoria, we hope you enjoy this very special, limited release. Gaining full access to our award-winning Pinot Noir barrels, Starward’s distillers worked with our winemakers on finishing their red wine barrel matured single malt whisky in a combination of our fresh and charred French oak puncheons which once held our Pinot Noir.

“What a fantastic opportunity this has been for Yering Station to collaborate with such a progressive and iconic Melbourne producer as Starward. A lot of hard work and dedication from our vineyard and winery teams goes into the growing and making of our wines, and it is a thrill for the entire team to see the beautiful dark cherry and the black forest influence from our Pinot Noir contribute to this delicious drink.” – Brendan Hawker, Chief Winemaker

The process

1. The Starward spirit was matured in a combination of fresh and charred American Oak and French Oak red wine barrels, for just over three years.
2. Their distillers then melded these parcels together and filled a combination of fresh and charred puncheon barrels that previously held our coveted Pinot Noir.
3. The whisky then spent almost two years in these barrels, soaking up all of the juicy and fruit-forward pinot characteristics.
4. This resulted in a single malt whisky, rich with notes of forest berries, sweet vanilla and oak spice.

A note from Starward

“We knew that collaborating with Yarra Valley’s cool climate pinot noir specialists and first vineyard, Yering Station, would be a truly special chance to harness incredible local ingredients that celebrate the very best of Victorian flavours. Using the best quality French oak, these rare puncheon barrels capture those deliciously bright and fruity Pinot Noir notes, bringing forward a new depth of flavour in our whisky.”

Enjoy this limited release that celebrates the very best of Victoria.

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The Occasion

On Saturday August 19th, we were delighted to share with club members, a wine not made since 2017, our 2021 Scarlett Pinot Noir. Officially launched on 1 August, the Scarlett Release Dinner attendees were among the first to experience the otherworldly beauty of this special wine.

Hosted in Society’s ‘West Private Dining Room’ in Melbourne’s CBD, we showcased the 99-point flagship 2021 Scarlett release, and celebrated 10-years of Scarlett with an incredible line up spanning the four releases: 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2021. Attendees tasted their way through a specially curated 6-course menu, matched with these outstanding Pinot Noir wines, along with our 2017 Yarrabank Cuvee, 2021 Reserve Chardonnay & 2021 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Team

Engagement by Rod Harrison (chief viticulturalist), Darren Rathbone (CEO and group winemaker), Brendan Hawker (chief winemaker) and Guillaume Bonange (brand ambassador).

The Wine of Honour

As with our best parcel of Shiraz in Coldstream, Nathan Scarlett also identified a 3-acre patch of Pinot Noir amongst a greater 6.7-acre block at our Yering Station vineyard where the topsoil was significantly deeper than the rest. The vines here are less stressed and more vigorous, resulting in fruit that boasts an effortless balance and an inherently powerful purity. Hand harvested, this wine’s fruit was split into two small fermenters – one with 20% whole bunches and the other completely destemmed. Gentle maceration followed a cold soak. Post-pressing, the wine was barrelled down for maturation in a mix of 500L and 228L French oak for 9 months. After careful barrel selection the final blend reflects 3% whole bunch and 29% new oak.

“There’s a vibrancy and luminosity here unlike almost any other Aussie Pinot Noir. If you’re serious about your Pinots then this small volume beauty should be on your bucket list.” Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot | 99 points

Thank you

Thank you to everyone that attended, and made the night as special as it was. We greatly appreciate the interactions we had with every one of you, and can’t wait for the next chance to catchup and celebrate all things Yering Station.

Want to be a part of our events in the future?

For exclusive invitations to events like these and more, join our Wine Club family. Wine Club members are entitled to discounts of up to 25%, first access to special releases, access to back vintage wines, and invitation to exclusive events such as the Scarlett Release Dinner, as well as plenty more.

Membership also features a rolling subscription of your favourite Yering Station wines delivered to your doorstep – fully personalised to your own preferences. Simply choose your favourite wines, the number of bottles you’d like to receive and how often you’d like to receive them.

Read more about Our Wine Club here:

Find Out More

Today marks the proud release of the 2021 Scarlett, our pinnacle Pinot Noir. This release is the first of such calibre since 2017 and the fourth ever-release, preceded by the 2013, 2015 and 2017 vintages.

The Scarlett Pinot Noir is our finest wine produced at Yering Station, with every vintage analysed to determine worthiness of the esteemed Scarlett label. This year the 2021 Scarlett has well and truly performed to such standards, creating a beautifully vibrant, premium Yarra Valley Pinot Noir.

The origin story

The Scarlett is a very special label, born out of the precision viticulture program led by Yering Station’s late chief viticulturalist Nathan Scarlett. Nathan identified a 3-acre patch of Pinot Noir amongst the greater 6.7-acre Y07 block at our Yering Station vineyard, a patch that had significantly deeper topsoil than the rest. The vines in this patch are less stressed and more vigorous, resulting in fruit that boasts an effortless balance and an inherently powerful purity.

The 2021 Scarlett, like those of the past, is picked exclusively from this Y07 vineyard, and produced only in the best growing years. Hand harvested, this wine’s fruit was split into two small fermenters – one with 20% whole bunches and the other completely destemmed. Gentle maceration followed a cold soak. Post-pressing, the wine was barrelled down for maturation in a mix of 500L and 228L French oak for 9 months. After careful barrel selection the final blend reflects 3% whole bunch and 29% new oak.

This resulted in an ever-expanding wine of perfumed fruit and spices, with elegant, structured tannins leading into a long, fruitful and deeply complex finish. To be enjoyed now or patiently cellared for upwards of 10 years.

“Unlike almost any other Aussie Pinot Noir” – Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot | 99 points

The 2021 Scarlett has been awarded 99pts by Ray Jordan of Wine Pilot, described as having a “combination of ethereal beauty and immense power” with “a vibrancy and luminosity unlike almost any other Aussie Pinot Noir.”

To find out more about the 2021 Scarlett and its supporting flagship Reserves, read what the Halliday Wine Companion had to say here.

With the 2017 Scarlett also receiving a 99 point rating, from James Halliday himself, the 2021 Scarlett is in good company. Watch this space.

Find the 2021 Scarlett Pinot Noir online via our website, or in cellar door.