About This Wine
Good things come in small packages and that is definitely the case for the 2016 wines. After a warm dry 2013, the abundant spring rains were welcome in our unirrigated vineyard. Throughout the flowering period of November and into December the vineyard experienced below average maximum temperatures, persistent wind and gloomy skies. This led to very poor flowering and fruit set for the early ripening varieties and as a consequence yields were down a significant 60% on average.
A fruit salad of aromas: crisp green apple and tangy pineapple. The palate dominated by a citrus backbone and fleshed out with the texture of malolactic fermentation in barrel. A textural wine with weight and length driven by an acid tang that would stand up to a variety of food pairings.
Hand harvested and crushed to encourage skin contact to lend flavour and texture to the palate. Basket pressed with minimal settling time before transferring to old used French oak barriques for primary fermentation followed by malolactic fermentation and 11 months maturation.Bottled via gravity without filtration.
Made by 2017 Halliday Winemaker of the Year, Sarah Crowe.
Has sufficient generosity and texture to be approachable as a young wine but will reward careful cellaring for 10+ years. Sealed with screwcap to ensure longevity and freshness.
| Type | White Wine |
|---|---|
| Varietal(s) | Semillon Sauvignon Blanc |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Yarra Valley |
| Brand | Yarra Yering |
| Vintage | 2016 |
Yarra Valley Wine
The Yarra Valley wine region is the most important area of wine production in Victoria today, and with its proximity to Melbourne, also the most visited in the state.
Yarra Valley is split into the Upper Yarra and the valley floor. The Upper Yarra is cooler in climate due to its elevation and coupled with younger, fertile, red soils produces most of the region’s notable varietals: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The valley floor is warmer and has predominantly grey soils with pockets of granite and limestone.
Pinot noir has long been considered a notoriously difficult variety to grow. However, the cool climate and longer growing seasons of the Yarra Valley allow the fruit to develop full flavoured and ripe character.
Chardonnay in the past has long been associated with a deep oily, buttery style that experiences full malolactic fermentation and great amounts of oak. This style has since fallen out of favour and wine makers in the Yarra Valley have capitalized on this trend to produce leaner, acid driven Chardonnays that are closer in style to those from Burgundy.
James Halliday – Crushed with skin contact prior to pressing, fermented in used French barriques, 100% mlf. Bright straw-green; a complex bouquet with some smoky/funky characters notwithstanding the mlf, the palate built on a foundation of crisp acidity; the lemon, lemongrass fruit of semillon will grow and expand with honey and toast over the next 5+ years.