Zooming in on Australia
Looking at Australian wine and the trends over the last 5 years, this major winemaking area there has been so much growth and development beyond what Australia has become known for globally, that being “the big juicy inexpensive Shiraz”. While the world still loves inexpensive juicy red wine, Australia has made an effort to show more of what it can do on the world stage of fine wine. Australia has upped its game as far as elegance and complexity goes, but that has come with a new price point that the world has seemed to be hesitant to meet. I have even had to overcome my own bias lately when it comes to Australian wine! When I find myself thinking a wine is too expensive just because it's from Australia, I remind myself to zoom in on what makes the wine what it is.
There is amazing quality coming from Australia and zooming in on the subregions within Australia will make that the most obvious. Zooming into smaller areas of Australia will explain why these wines are exceptional with price tags that match. The state of Victoria was the first region that I really dove into. With 21 different wine regions, pockets of distinct climate variations, and an array of innovative wineries make the region bursting with diversity. The coolest area and the one that has struck me recently has been the Yarra Valley, the coolest region with varying microclimates through the large area. The area has a large river that divides it into the Upper and Lower Yarra. This area sees mild warmer months and in the cooler months much more misty mild weather. This area is known for growing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, and Cabernet. Yering Station takes us even deeper into the region's history. It is home to the first vineyard planted in Victoria in 1838. After passing from many different families through the 1900s, in 1996 the Rathbone family purchased the property.
The Rathbone family with a history of agriculture and engineering has been able to produce amazing wine from this area that doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg for a killer set of wines. This is where the Little Yering comes in. The line of Little Yering wines gives the world a look at what this area can do at a price point that shouldn’t make you scared to try them out. I have brought in two wines from the line that I thought were exceptional and will hopefully get you either back into Australian wine or make you want to take another look at all of the amazing diverse things that Australian wine has to offer.
Yering Station "Little Yering" 2022 Chardonnay, Australia: This unoaked Chardonnay is bright and vibrant; it expresses classic citrus notes of lemon and pink grapefruit, layered with white stone fruits and a hint of tropical fruit.
The Yering Station "Little Yering" 2022 Pinot Noir, Australia: Bright and juicy strawberries, red cherries and tart cranberries fill out this rounded palate. A supple and tacky tannin binds the wine with a vibrant acid line, drawing the berry fruits through the finish.