From the highest-altitude vineyard in the Yarra on volcanic loam soils, Wombat Creek really walks to its own beat. The lemony vibrancy typical to Chardonnay in this region is present, but here it's more like the whole lemon (flesh, rind, juice)—round, fleshy and pithy. There are white orchard blossoms, nashi pear and minerally, saline characters. The palate is tightly structured, yet beautifully balanced, walking a tightrope of power and delicacy. It's chalky, even a bit yeasty, with a round shape, mineral acidity, and a long lemon-flower-chalk finish. A complex, fine Chardonnay for drinking now and likely through this decade.

From one of the Yarra's most renowned vineyards, on steep loam and clay slopes in the Warramate Ranges, this vintage of Sexton again proves a sublimely classy bottling. Layered and bright aromas of preserved lemon, melon and fresh cream, strewn with flower petals and softly framed by toasty oak open. The mouth-watering, citrusy acidity and silky texture work seamlessly together, supported by the fine-grained oak, with a long lemon-curd finish. Harmonious and elegant without shying away from structure and age-worthiness.

Made with fruit sourced from vineyards across the Russian River Valley, this chardonnay has an ambience of warmth, opulence, and richness, making it an apt choice for cold weather. I like the silky palate, supported by firm acids, and the enduring finish.

Deep red-purple colour, rich plummy aroma, with some black-olive and smoky characters. A big wine, with lashings of tannin. Grippy and gutsy with masses of fruit sweetness. A very serious grenache, chunky, generous, dense and tannic. It should age superbly.

Deep red colour with a good purple tint; the bouquet is sweetly ripe and berry-like, with some seaspray-like notes. The palate is rich and deep, opulent and flavoursome, with charm and character. It's very intense, powerful, concentrated and long on the finish. The tannins are ample and firm, and oak is beautifully handled and under-played. A superb, luxurious wine. (Biodynamic. Grown on sand. Hand-picked, destemmed, berry-sorted, 50% crushed, wild fermented, aged on lees in 1 and 2 YO French oak. Unfined. 3336 bottles)

Deep red/purple colour. The bouquet holds smoky, charry, savoury aromas with some dry spice notes, and has depth and gravity which mirrors the deep colour and is more profound than usual in pure grenache wines. Clove, pepper, mixed-spice aromas, full body and powerful flavour. The tannins are fine and soft and nicely balanced, providing impressive structure to the wine. An outstanding grenache. Drink 2020 - 2040

Deep, dark red-purple-black colour with a tremendously deep and complex bouquet of smoke, charcuterie, roasting meats and graphite. A massive wine which is just starting to show some mellowness and maturity, the palate very full-bodied, fleshy, dense and powerful. It's a terrifically concentrated, profoundly flavoured wine which has a huge future. The early oakiness has mellowed nicely and the wine has come up a few notches on my score-sheet.

Deep, youthful red/purple colour. The bouquet is shy but fresh, bright and clean, with dark plum fruit and quite strongly stated oak. It's very full-bodied, rich and deep, with youthful and slightly undeveloped, tightly-packed flavours, which promise to bring forth more in the future if it's cellared. There's a super-abundancy of tannin as well, balancing the formidable concentration. A big, solid, rugged shiraz. One for the cellar. Drink 2021 - 2043

Grown biodynamically. Fermented in two ceramic eggs: one left on skins for a whopping 160 days, one fermented as juice only. Final blend is 60% of the extended skin contact egg portion. Bottled unfined. I suspect that the ‘part extended skin contact/part fermented as juice’ approach is the secret here.
It’s a killer wine. Body, soul, aroma, flavour and length. Honeysuckle and stone fruits, more spice than your average temple, custard apples, tea, kiwi fruit, anise and more. It has power, texture and persistence but, almost regardless, its personality is captivating, and makes you want to delve ever deeper. It is a truly brilliant white wine.

Shiraz from two blocks of the Yangarra vineyard. 25% whole bunches/50% whole berries. Cold soak, wild yeast, open fermenters, kept on lees, matured in all-French oak, 35% new. Certified organic/biodynamic. It’s a dense style and yet it remains remarkably fresh. This is the best of many worlds. Plush plum, savoury cloves and spice, silken slips of smoky/cedary oak, emery-board tannin. It’s almost raw with freshness and yet it’s complex and vinous. It’s lengthy. There’s a sense of wonder to this wine. It’s perfectly formed. Drink 2020 - 2036

Estate fruit, 50% whole berries, a portion of whole bunches, wild ferment and aged in French oak 25% new for 17 months. Excellent dark-purple hue; succulent and velvety texture with some power to the chiselled tannins, savoury yet pristine fruit the key.

It has more perfume and lift than most with currants, Treviso radicchio, crushed gravel and cinnamon quills. Ripe tannins and sprightly acidity are in sync, with the latter in the driver's seat. Come along for the ride.

A 49/29/22% blend of grenache, shiraz and mourvedre. Hand-picked, mechanically sorted, 50% whole berries, cold soak, open fermenters, plunged, wild yeast-fermented, kept on lees in 100% used French oak for 9 months. Brilliant hue; the wine effortlessly communicates its distinguished breeding, the medium-bodied palate with a silken line of fruit, then a thin coat of fine, savoury tannins.

One of the noticeable traits about Yangarra's wines, GSM in particular, there's nothing harsh or worked, there's a purity of fruit that comes through, the balance of tannins to acidity, and this not shy with the latter. The right amount of spice and flavour and most importantly, crafting a really, delicious drink.

From bush vines planted ’46 in Blewitt Springs’ sandy soils; hand-picked, mechanically sorted, 50% whole berries, cold soak, open-fermented, wild yeast, on lees in used French oak for 9 months. Bright crimson; a grenache with serious intent, its tightly focused and structured palate way above the norm, the pure core of bright red fruits precisely delineated and very long. For the long haul.

From bush vines planted in 1946, 50% whole-berries, wild yeast and kept on lees in used French oak for 10 months. So fragrant it's breathtaking. To start, a whirl of perfectly ripe raspberries and red currants, patchouli and subtle Middle Eastern spices. The palate is tightly wound, with raspberry-like acidity, more pronounced tannins in the background. They'll meet up in time.

This is one of the most exciting wines I have tried in a long time. Wildly intense with bright maraschino cherry aromas and flavours. The palate is young, taut and tactile with cherry pip vibrancy and shimmering spice. The barely perceptible savouriness gives the wine depth and character. Highly recommended. Drink 2017 - 2023

Beautiful fragrance, fruit and structure. It’s light but insistent; it has presence. I guess you’d say that it tastes of redcurrant and plum, gently stewed versions thereof, though saltbush and sweet spice notes gather in number, and there’s an earthen aspect, a suggestion that it’s of the ground. Tannin here; it means business. It doesn’t just sit there; the tannin here takes those fruit and spice notes and brands the finish with where it comes from. $35, in any walk of life, rarely offers that kind of connection; that kind of more.

Sourced from Block 30 (planted 1946). Raised in two 675L ceramic eggs, and kept on skins for 120 days post ferment. No oak. 93 cases.
Enchanting violet and rose perfume, fresh raspberries, subtle underlay of earth and spice. Light to medium bodied, superb tannin – chamois-like – all grip and mouth-coating authority, very fresh pronounced acidity, but feels clear and clean, then a perfumed bright finish of red berries and a slick of refreshing tannin. So precise, yet charming. Superb.

Wild yeast, fermented and matured in two 675L ceramic eggs, fermenting on skins for 140 days. Grapes sourced from Block 30, planted in 1946. And, well, if ever there was a Grenache style for me, then no oak and heaps of grape tannin is it. 
Flowers, sugar coated almonds, cherry and raspberry, aromatic herbs, Medium bodied, red fruits and spice, beautiful mineral and brick dust tannin, perfume and almost cranberry juice acidity, freshness and great length, etched with tannin and scented with flowers and almond. What a beautiful wine. It’s an Italianate expression, as well as essence of Old Vine Grenache. Hats off to the team at Yangarra.

Whole berries, basket-pressed to French oak, 5% new, wild ferment and 7 months on lees. While there's a whisper of nashi pears, daikon, camomile, fennel and white pepper, this runs on a savoury track with fine acidity keeping it from ever becoming too big. Lovely drink.

Hand-picked from the 1.4ha estate block, whole bunch basket-pressed, predominantly tank-fermented, then used French oak for 4 months, lees-stirred. In typical Yangarra fashion, it has captured the best bits of viognier, impressive to say the least, especially its fruit lift on the finish. 362 dozen made.

It's viognier but not as you know it. It's not big, fat nor riddled with apricots. Instead, it's savoury and really textural with grilled nuts, jasmine rice, a creamed-honey leesy character and saline-like acidity. As good as it gets and stylishly so.