We seem to have a serious Yarra Valley craving this week, as we look ahead to both a Friday and Saturday showing of the great region!
Fittingly, for Valentine's Day on Friday, we have whites and reds both new and old from Valentine Wines! From the winemaking mind of Dom Valentine, who has spent time working for both Leeuwin Estate and Xanadu over in Margaret River, as well as vineyards in Alsace and Germany's famed Rheingau region, we had some splashes of his Riesling (2016), Chardonnay (2022 and 2019), and Pinot Noir (2021 and 2018), and we're really loving how they're all showing now! Come by anytime between 4 and 7pm tomorrow, and host Shane from Vino Bros will give you the spiel on each!
Saturday (15th February) will then sweep in the celebrated names of Yeringberg and Wantirna to the table; two estates that have amassed considerable followings through the years for harnessing the climate and charm of the Yarra and turning out wines of a very certain elegance and finesse. The De Pury family at Yeringberg have held and tended to their vines since 1863, now wonderfully continued on by fourth-generation siblings Sandra and David - their Viognier and Marsanne/Roussanne showings lie among Australia's finest takes on the noble Rhône grapes, while their Cabernet and Shiraz are generously textured reds that will always reward some years away in the cellar. We already know these will pair beautifully with the energetic Chardonnay and Cabernet Merlot from father-daughter duo Reg and Maryann Egan over at Wantirna (both having honed their vigneron talents in both Burgundy and Bordeaux!) Join in between 12 and 2pm, where host Ben Boscoe from Cellarhand will fill you in on all the details! Yeringberg & Wantirna - Specials and Tasting!
Saturday 15th February
12 to 2pm
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Yeringberg Viognier 2022 -
$48 on special this week; $54 RRP
"Viognier’s exotic opulence produces a wine of seductive and perfumed pleasure. A low yielding, high quality vintage producing excellent, intense wines in small quantities. Very gentle whole bunch pressing to minimise phenolic extraction. The juice was settled and racked off solids before wild fermentation in old barrels. It stayed on its lees in the barrels, with some stirring, for about 10 months. On the nose, exotic notes of apricot, peach blossom and burnt honey sit beside lifted aromas of white tea, ginger and lemon verbena. The palate is similarly complex with an unctuous, yet gently pithy framework that delivers both perfumed volume and lively length." - Winemaker Notes
"Barrel fermented and matured for 10 months in large-format oak. A bright green gold. A hedonistic bouquet of ripe nectarines and apricots together with glacé ginger and honey. Textured but not overdone on the palate, which is gently saline and very nicely balanced. It's delicious now, but this has enough of everything to still be looking good three to four years from now too. A truly lovely example." - 96 Points, Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion
Yeringberg Marsanne Roussanne 2022 -
$70 on special this week; $79 RRP
"61% Marsanne, 39% Roussanne. Our traditional white blend comes from Marsanne vines planted in 1973 and the oldest Roussanne vines in Australia, planted in 1983. The purity of the fruit is allowed to shine through, unimpeded by new oak and malolactic fermentation. A wine of understated depth and complexity. It balances finesse and power, with a savoury structure that calls out for food. Aromas of honeysuckle, jasmine, and orange blossom are interspersed with savoury aromas of pear skin, quince and sandalwood. The palate is finely textured, fresh & moreishly lively, while offering the breadth and power typical of the blend." - Winemaker Notes
"A bright green gold. Aromas of ripe pears and apricots sit alongside some lemon conserve, pink grapefruit and orange blossom scents. It's a compelling mix that flows through onto the palate, which is gently textured, saline, and very well structured. I really like the touch of the grip on the finish too, and as good as this is now, this will age gracefully over the next five to seven years at least." - 97 Points, Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion
Yeringberg Chardonnay 2022 -
$70 on special this week; $79 RRP
"Yeringberg Chardonnay is a single vineyard wine made from vines planted in 1974 & 1981. Our 2022 has that extra element of precision, power and drive that the very best seasons bring to the fore. Restrained aromas of nectarine, citrus blossom and flint evolve into richer notes of white peach, honey and roasted nuts. There’s generosity and a touch of richness within a poised, powerful and complex palate." - Winemaker Notes
"A combination of natural and inoculated ferments, then racked to 25% new oak with 25% malolactic fermentation. A bright green gold. Attractive scents of ripe stone fruits, lemon confiture, honey and hazelnuts that are echoed on the flavourful, silky, gently viscous and long palate. At the more hedonistic end of the Yarra chardonnay spectrum and a delicious wine to drink now and over the next three to five years." - 93 Points, Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion
Yeringberg 'Yeringberg' Cabernet Blend 2022 -
$99 on special this week; $115 RRP
"63% Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot 16%, Petit Verdot 10%, Malbec 7%, Cabernet Franc 4%. A wonderful year for our Yeringberg blend. This wine will be fascinating to observe as it evolves over time. An elegant and complex nose of blackcurrant, violet and liquorice is interwoven with notes of Christmas cake, tapenade and graphite. The palate, generous and pure, laden with blue & black fruits, is understated and beautifully delineated. It has mid-weight elegance, seamlessly embedded tannins, and a long, refreshingly generous finish." - Winemaker Notes
"That's two great back-to-back vintages for this Yarra Valley and Australian classic. Bright crimson purple. A wonderful bouquet of perfectly ripened black cherries, blackcurrants, cedar (from the already integrated oak) and lavender. With its core of dark fruits and impeccably balanced, fully ripe yet silky tannins, this complex and harmonious wine is destined to join the ranks of the very best Yeringbergs." - 98 Points, Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion (Included in the Companion's Top 100 Wines)
Yeringberg Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 -
$99 on special this week; $115 RRP
"In the very best Cabernet years we produce a single variety Cabernet Sauvignon from our 1999 plantings, these being 2017, 2019 & 2022. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon offers a more structured and tensile perspective on the vintage, while retaining hallmark Yeringberg elegance. The deepset nose has aromas of blackberry, black olive and dark chocolate, together with notes of iodine and tobacco. The palate continues the theme, with a savoury, almost primal quality underpinning the intense, ripe Cabernet fruit. But there’s also freshness and lift that gives elegance and shape to the long finish." - Winemaker Notes
"Just the third straight cabernet made, and from grapes planted in '99. A deepish bright crimson purple. A touch more closed than the Yeringberg blend, but still with a lovely core of dark fruits, together with cedar, violets and a hint of iodine on the perfumed and captivating bouquet. The medium-bodied and firmly structured palate is beautifully balanced but with those, firm, fine-grained tannins, this will require some patience to fulfil its potential." - 97 Points, Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion
Yeringberg Shiraz 2022 -
$99 on special this week; $115 RRP
"Our Shiraz is a wine that continues to demonstrate the affinity of the variety with the Yarra Valley. A very low yielding, high quality vintage producing excellent, intense wines in small quantities. With the vines now nearing a quarter of a century old, we are happy with our decision to replant Shiraz, a variety we had originally planted in the 1970’s and later pulled out. A generous and complex nose, laden with blueberry, violet and white pepper unfolds with notes of juniper berry and Moroccan spice. The palate, lively, fresh and elegantly plush, has a wonderfully savoury, almost ferrous structure and a seamless silky balance." - Winemaker Notes
"Fruit from vines planted in '99. A medium crimson purple. A gentle wine in '22, you'll find aromas of red and blue fruits together with loads of white pepper, spice and fresh flowers. There's a little meatiness too, which follows onto the medium-bodied, elegant yet persistent palate. A touch closed at present; this will open up and become more perfumed and silkier over the next three to five years and beyond." - 95 Points, Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion
Wantirna 'Isabella' Chardonnay 2023 -
$92 on special this week; $105 RRP
"The chardonnay vines are grown on an east facing, gentle slope allowing early morning and late afternoon sunshine. This aspect is perfect to grow top quality chardonnay grapes. Today the average age of the vines is over 40 years, which adds to the complexity of the fruit. The 2023 Isabella chardonnay is a beautiful balance of restraint along with good ripeness. Made in tiny amounts - just 722 bottles - the wine truely reflects the season and is a snapshot of the Wantirna Estate microclimate. A real pureness of fruit comes from the 50-60 year old vines, gives the wine intensity and excellent acidity. It is drinking beautifully now, however it will age very well for many years to come. Just 4 barrels made." - Maryann Egan, Winemaker
"Nectarine, ripe lemon, fennel, oatmeal with cinnamon, light cedar/vanilla oak. It’s a tighter expression of this wine, quite savoury too, nutty and saline, with a grainy texture, juicy grapefruit acidity, just ripe peach, lime, and some lemon zest on a finish of excellent length. I’d give it a year or two to settle in, but gee, it’s a good and lively release of this wine." - 95 Points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
Wantirna 'Amelia' Cabernet Merlot 2022 -
$92 on special this week; $105 RRP
"The 2022 Amelia cabernet sauvignon merlot is showing trademark Amelia elegance and finesse with a little bit extra in ripeness. The 2022 Amelia is a typical Wantirna cabernet blend. The fruit is ripe, the tannins long and the palate reflects the high quality of Cabernets from this area of Australia. The blend this year is 24% merlot/cabernet franc, 66% cabernet sauvignon and 10% petit verdot. Certainly the 2022 it is a wine with tremendous immediate appeal and will definitely age very well." - Maryann Egan, Winemaker
"Blackcurrant and red fruits, tobacco and pencils, quite some violet and rosehip perfume, some camphor, roast red capsicum and dried herb. It’s medium-bodied, firm and finely etched, very ‘minerally’, the acidity is crisp and almost cranberried, the tannin offers some chalky and grainy grip, and it’s long and bright to close. This wine has energy and perfume, and while it’s kind of frisky, I reckon it’s really good. Cellaring will unlock further nuance and beauty." - 96 Points, Gary Walsh, The Wine FrontValentine Wines - Special Back-Vintage Bottles on Tasting!
Friday 14th February
4 to 7pm
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The Lineup:
2016 Riesling
2022 Chardonnay
2019 Chardonnay
2021 Pinot Noir
2018 Pinot NoirIf you wish to buy any of these wines, please use the links above. Alternatively, email us at sales@thewineemporium.com.au, or contact us on (07)32521117 if you have any questions. // Prices valid until Thursday the 20th of February