Yarra Yering Dry Red No 1 2023

Yarra Yering Dry Red No 1 2023
58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 15% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot

Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia.

Vines: The first plantings into block No. 1 were these Cabernet Sauvignon vines, and the name was born. Malbec was also part of the original 1969 plantings. Merlot vines were originally interplanted with Cabernet, with subsequent plantings in 1990 along with Petit Verdot.

Hand-harvested and sorted, only the best berries make the cut. Cabernet is crushed for structure, while Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot undergo whole berry fermentation for fragrance and weight. Mostly fermented in half-tonne fermenters, hand-plunged daily. Some of the Cabernet ferments in 3,500L oak cask, with up to 8 weeks on skins for complexity. Matured 15 months in French oak barriques, 35% new.

"A blend of 58/23/15/4% cabernet sauvignon/merlot/malbec/petit verdot, the cabernet coming from the original '69-planted vineyard. Matured in barrique (35% new). A deep, bright purple. Classic cool-climate cabernet aromas of black cherry, blackcurrants, cedar, licorice and subtle iodine. The palate is simultaneously concentrated, structured and refined, finishing with an ironstone minerality. Approachable now with food, but anyone who buys some will want to make sure they still have a bottle, or three, 10 to 15 years from now." 99 Points - 2026 Cabernet & Blends Wine of the Year, Halliday Wine Companion

"Deep and bright purple-red colour; cassis and dried-herb aromas, thyme, oregano, and classical mulberry/cassis cabernet fruit. A wonderful set of perfumes. The wine is full bodied and intensely flavoured, with delicious style and bell-clear varietal cues. Some saline notes at the finish amongst the velvety tannins. Very smart cabernet blend, albeit very young at this stage and ideally should be cellared a few years." 97 Points - Huon Hooke, The Real Review

"If ever the word classic was apt, it’s here and now. This wine is polished, fresh and to an extent, fruit forward. And yet everything about it feels or tastes like old money. There’s just nothing earnest or try-hard about it. It’s a complex, lengthy, fluent cabernet with leaf matter and peppercorn characters strewn through redcurrant, musk, mint and red cherries. There’s a smidgen of blackcurrant here too but it doesn’t attempt to be dark or inky or anything like that. It’s more about medium-bodied charm. And charming it certainly is." 95 Points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front