$92.30
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Region: Yarra Valley
Grape: Cabernet-dominant Bordeaux blend
First Glance: mid-weight, complex, understated, age-worthy
Acclaim: 97 points
Yeringberg is one of the oldest and finest producers in the Yarra Valley, and the de Pury family have been growing grapes and fruit, as well as raising lamb and cattle, on their Coldstream hill since 1863. Today the estate is lead by the talented, and thoroughly down to earth, Sandra de Pury. The operation is remarkably old fashioned, with a hands on effort in the vineyard and a low-tech approach in the cellar, under the old wooden winery building. These are some of the most honest, detailed and delightfully under-stated wines coming out of the valley.
The Cabernet blend, also referred to simply as the 'Yeringberg', is 'supposedly the top wine we make', as Sandra states with a smirk. In truth, she doesn't really differentiate in the care put into the different wines in the range, or fuss over the perceived prestige one cuvee might hold over the others. The fruit is all hand-picked, and carefully sorted. The grapes are destemmed and crushed, and fermented in small open-top tanks and hand plunged. Time on skins ranged from 12-15 days. The wine was aged in French oak barriques for 19 months, about 40% new.
The review:
97 points. Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion
A blend of 61/10/10/10/9% cabernet sauvignon/cabernet franc//merlot/petit verdot/malbec from vines planted at this historic winery Yeringberg from 1969-2000. Matured 19 months in French barrique (39% new). A medium and bright ruby red. Even in a cooler year, this always great wine delivers the goods. Aromas of subtle cranberry, blackberries and brambly blackberry leaf, together with a little clove and fresh vanilla bean from the well-handled oak. Medium bodied and beautifully poised, this has fine, elegant tannins contributing to a wine that, as delicious as it is now, boasts a track record that means you can cellar it for as long as you have the patience to do so. An under-priced icon wine.
