The Yarra Valley is arguably Victoria’s marquee winegrowing region, and especially for chardonnay and pinot noir. In sheer size, it has nearly triple the plantings of the Mornington Peninsula and more than six times that of Geelong, for example. It is not volume, though, but rather quality that sees it heralded, with many of this country’s most iconic makers located there. It is also a region that sees considerable celebration for the Bordeaux varieties and shiraz – although the commercial reality of those grapes is less robust than their reputation. As the climate heats up, some areas of the Valley floor are becoming too hot for high-quality pinot noir in warmer years, but it distinctly favours Rhône and Bordeaux varieties. With established names abounding, there are also newer producers making their mark, adding layers to what is already a rich story.
The 2023 YGOWA Top 50 features Dale Wheeler (Wheeler Wines & 3P25), Natillie Johnson (Tillie J), Chris Ryan (Honky Chateau) and Callie Jemmeson (Pacha Mama), who are all flying the flag for younger makers in the Yarra.
“I really hope any notion of the ‘New Yarra’ embraces the ‘Old Yarra’, which I think can be compelling globally,” says Honky Chateau’s Chris Ryan. “Bordeaux reds but also whites – how good is old Triolet or Gembrook sauv? Rhône varieties like syrah and including whites – old Yeringberg marsanneroussanne can be breathtaking…”
Everything old…
Ryan’s project, an adjunct to his work as a wine buyer and sommelier for Andrew McConnell’s Trader House Group, sees him working primarily with shiraz and cabernet. “The future of the Yarra Valley is undoubtedly in the cooler sites, and it’s hard to imagine pinot noir and chardonnay not reigning supreme… But I think we need to take stock of what we’ve got, which is a great resource of established shiraz and cabernet vineyards that can produce wonderful perfumed, aromatic, medium-bodied wines. Long live luncheon claret!”
Even though plantings have dwindled, there’s no doubt that some of the historically great Yarra Valley producers, such as Mount Mary, Wantirna Estate and Yeringberg, make benchmark cabernet-based wines, while Yarra Yering has also long flown the flag for shiraz, along with some other Rhône (and Portuguese) varieties. There is also a significant foundation in a newer wave, but now established, set of makers in Luke Lambert, Timo Mayer and Gary Mills, for example, who have championed an elegant take on shiraz, often labelled as syrah.
Chris Ryan describes shiraz as a winemaker’s grape that has so many different potential expressions from varying sites around the country that can be further defined by makers.
Ryan describes shiraz as a winemaker’s grape that has so many different potential expressions from varying sites around the country that can be further defined by makers. “Decisions on picking dates, whole bunch and oak can have a massive difference on the wine,” he says. “For me, that’s exciting because there’re a few more dials to tweak in guiding the final wine. Luke Lambert does it better than me – I remember drinking his Yarra Valley syrah maybe seven years ago and it was a double-take kind of wine: ‘Oh, this is delicious – I didn’t know shiraz can taste like that.’ Yarra Yering, Serrat and Timo Mayer have given me similar moments of pause.”
A cabernet revival?
While Ryan’s inspiration for shiraz is a more modern one, his trajectory with cabernet is informed by history. “The Yarra Valley has a rich history of making age-worthy cabernet blends that sit mid-12% and age for decades,” he says. “I’ve had the opportunity on many occasions to have a Yarra cab and pinot next to each other where the cabernet is significantly lower in alcohol. Not that alcohol is a reliable indicator for a great wine, but pinot noir has this kind of monopoly on restraint and elegance.”
It is that elegance that has Ryan excited about Yarra cabernet. “In the winery, it has the most complex graphite, blackberry, gravelly kind of aromatics in lieu of any new oak – I get excited about it every year. You can kind of sense that this is a serious grape in the right place with lots of potential. Hopefully the market catches up before all the wonderful, often dry grown, cabernets are ripped out or grafted over to more, often mediocre but easy to sell, pinot noir.”
“The incredible terroir, with its cool climate, diverse soils and ideal growing conditions set the stage for crafting world-class wines. Why wouldn’t you want to make wine here!”
While there is little doubt that economic realities given the high cost of farming are driving people to plant noir and chardonnay in less-desirable sites, there are also very well-situated sites in the generally warmer lower Yarra as well as the cooler Upper Yarra. The expressions are simply different, says Tillie Johnson of Tillie J Wines.
Site expression
“Pinot Noir is very much a variety that reflects the terroir in which it’s grown,” says Johnson. “The generous fertile, loamy soils of the valley floor and warmer temperatures produce pinots of great intensity, brooding and brambly fruit profile and robust tannin structure. On the other hand, pinot noir grown in a more elevated location and perhaps in soil of rich volcanic basalt can express heady perfume, bright, red-fruited flavour profiles and fine, elegant tannin structure.”
Johnson is working with both pinot noir and chardonnay from the Yarra, which is becoming an increasing challenge for many makers that don’t have their own vineyard source (fortunately, she leases and farms a small block). “Pinot noir is a hot commodity, and we’ve had some challenging growing seasons in 2022 and 2023. Speak to any grower and they will tell you they can’t keep up with the demand… It’s difficult, in some cases, for small producers to really gain a good foothold when tonnage requirements can be small and at times fiddly.”
Getting a foothold
Those low-yielding vintages, coupled with increased demand, has made it hard for smaller makers to get that foothold, or indeed to keep one they already have. “Obtaining fruit is becoming increasingly more challenging and prohibitively expensive,” agrees Callie Jemmeson of Pacha Mama Wines. “The dominance of larger wine companies acquiring vineyards and striking deals creates a competitive disadvantage. Plus, challenging vintage conditions are happening more often, resulting in reduced yields. Rising labour costs and costs of goods further compound the struggle. Accessing Yarra Valley fruit is a real challenge, especially if you’re trying to offer affordable products to consumers.”
That’s a challenge that is not putting Jemmeson off, though. “Having grown up in Melbourne, the region holds a special place in my heart, and it felt natural to pursue my winemaking journey here. It also boasts a supportive community of winemakers and viticulturists… The spirit of experimentation thrives, allowing me to push boundaries and explore both my winemaking and what the region is capable of.”
Above: Callie Jemmeson. Opposite: Dale Wheeler. “With a little experience, I’ve grown to appreciate the depth and diversity in climate, geography, and grape varieties,” Wheeler says. “Vintage extremes also add a layer of complexity, which add interest, despite obviously dialling up the difficulty for growers and makers.”
For Dale Wheeler of Wheeler Wines, landing in the Yarra was somewhat of a happy accident when he moved to Melbourne to study winemaking after trading in a career in advertising. “Opportunities in the Yarra Valley found me before I really had a solid understanding of the Victorian landscape, having only recently arrived in Melbourne. Leasing small vineyard holdings while studying kicked things off for me.”
That exposure certainly struck a chord, though, leasing a neglected site with a fellow student. “With a little experience, I’ve grown to appreciate the depth and diversity in climate, geography, and grape varieties,” Wheeler says. “Vintage extremes also add a layer of complexity, which add interest, despite obviously dialling up the difficulty for growers and makers.”
Classics and newcomers
For Wheeler it is the hero varieties of chardonnay, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon that fill his roster of wines. “To me, the Yarra has always shone brightest with classic varieties, and with current vine age and viticultural experience in working with these plantings, the grape quality is some of the best in the country. In the near term, before more heat and drought tolerant varieties really start to shine, shiraz plantings producing medium-weight expressions should also be celebrated.”
Varieties suited to warmer conditions is certainly a hot topic, with players like Mount Mary investing in Rhône varieties and De Bortoli backing gamay. “Pinot Noir seems to be the thing on everyone’s lips at the moment,” says Johnson, “and I think we’re really making some great progress with clones and rootstocks that suit the growing conditions. However, there are a smattering of other cool varieties making their way in. Gamay is an exciting contender and one to keep an eye out for. Grenache is another variety that’s also popping up as well.”
“The future of the Yarra Valley is undoubtedly in the cooler sites, and it’s hard to imagine pinot noir and chardonnay not reigning supreme…. But I think we need to take stock of what we’ve got, which is a great resource of established shiraz and cabernet vineyards that can produce wonderful perfumed, aromatic, medium-bodied wines. Long live luncheon claret!”
Jemmeson also believes that varieties like shiraz, grenache and tempranillo could well become more prevalent. “While pinot noir and chardonnay may still have their place in certain cooler subregions, adaptation and experimentation will likely play a significant role in exploring new grape varieties that can withstand the changing conditions… This will shape the Yarra Valley’s future varietal landscape, adding diversity and exploring new expressions of terroir.”
An ode to days past
For Ryan, being at the mercy of the fluctuations of the price and availability of quality chardonnay and pinot noir is something he is happy to pass up. Instead, he will continue focusing on cabernet and shiraz, and also a blend of the two, which is famously made in South Australia but never had much of a presence here. I like Yarra cab and Yarra shiraz, why aren’t we doing more of that in the Yarra?” says Ryan. “I love that this is a kind of uniquely Australian style of wine.”
That’s very much in Ryan’s wheelhouse, paying respect to the past through his lens. “I’m really inspired by older Australian wine pre 90s; the kind of wines that were modelled on the Old World made in an often rudimentary way. They didn’t have all the distractions of the modern wine industry that can encourage overthinking or over manipulation. Fortunately, I’m still joyfully naïve, so I try to capture that spirit of pretty basic winemaking.”
Above: Callie Jemmeson. “While pinot noir and chardonnay may still have their place in certain cooler subregions,” says Jemmeson, “Adaptation and experimentation will likely play a significant role in exploring new grape varieties that can withstand the changing conditions” Opposite: Chris Ryan.
There is no doubt that the Yarra has a bright future with chardonnay and pinot noir continuing to lead, but makers both new and established will also see a resurrection of established varieties and the introduction of ones ideally suited to the changing conditions. “The incredible terroir, with its cool climate, diverse soils and ideal growing conditions set the stage for crafting world-class wines,” concludes Jemmeson. “Why wouldn’t you want to make wine here!”
The wines
2020 Wheeler Wines ‘3P-25’ Chardonnay
Yarra Valley, 12.4%, $35
From the Yarra Valley’s iconic Willowlake Vineyard, this was picked on the early side to capture bright freshness, but then it’s been upholstered with gently pleasing levels of chardonnay-making detail. That includes a decent inclusion of oak, though it sits very much within the wine, while still adding a luxurious side, with notes of praline, lemon curd and ginger. However, it’s the zip and line of this that takes the lead, carrying the flavours along a subtly soft textural line, which is arrested through the aforementioned drive.
2021 Pacha Mama Chardonnay
Yarra Valley, 13.3%, $32
The nose is intense with stone fruit notes, including yellow peach, white nectarine and apricot blossom, along with lemon pith. That fruit plays across a discreet backdrop of savoury oak, adding subtle spice notes. The palate is both layered and vibrant, with a lighter weight feel but still plenty of complexity.
2022 Wheeler ‘Willowlake’ Pinot Noir
Yarra Valley, 12.9%, $45
There’s plenty going on here, with notes of redcurrants, wild berries, salted plum and forest floor, accented with white pepper, dark spices, orange peel and twiggy notes. There’s a pitch perfect balance between the vibrant and the autumnal, with sweet fruits cresting over savoury elements, a web of complex tannin adding interest and detail on the palate, the pleasingly bitter edge dancing with the acidity from this cool vintage.
Aromas of red forest fruits, redcurrant, macerated cherries and some more brooding plum notes are fringed with brambly wild herb notes and a dusting of spice. Hints of orange peel and an earthy mineral note complex further. This plays supple and relatively svelte on the palate but with a drive of freshness and present tannins that give this structural presence to neatly frame the fruit.
Honky Chateau ‘Découpage’ Syrah
Yarra Valley, 13.5%, $32
This is certainly in the gently juicy but elegant spectrum, with red fruits to the fore laced with subtle spice notes and a brush of herbs, some lavender and violet perfuming the deal. There’s detail on the palate, a drying, grapey grip, suggesting whole bunch and ripe fruit hemmed in with savouriness, but the overall feel is of calm ease, suppleness and succulence. There’s lots going on, but nothing is shouting over anything else.
This is a riff on the classic Australian blend, but in a region that scarcely acknowledges it – even though both varieties excel in the Yarra. There’s a distinct juiciness here at the more upper-midweight end of things, with cabernet making itself felt with blackcurrant, mulberry, tobacco and gently leafy herbal notes to the fore, a drive of pepper, wild red fruits and dark spices joining the chorus. This feels like it’s had the edges rounded off from some neutral oak ageing, harmonising and integrating the fruit without oak flavours or tannins a meaningful consideration.
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Three years after our inaugural Deep Dive into chenin blanc, it’s an apt time to again cast our eyes across the Australian chenin blanc landscape. With a new wave of Australian producers dedicated to elevating the grape, a Deep Dive was called for, so we gathered as many bottlings as we could find and enlisted the help of eight of this country’s finest palates to check in to see just where Australian chenin blanc is at.
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