Yarra Yering 2008 Releases

I must say I have lost touch with Yarra Yering during the last 10 years. Not quite sure why, maybe price. Anyway, I was keen to see how the new wines would show.

The first was the 2008 Yarra Yering Dry Red No 3, which is a relatively new addition to the stable, based on a number of Portuguese varieties. The wine had a nice smooth fruit set and well integrated acidity. The disappointment was the relatively short finish.

Score: 92/0

The 2008 Yarra Yering Dry Red No 2 is the Shiraz based wine. It includes some Viognier and Marsanne to create a complex Northern Rhone equivalent. This was my wine of the night. The wine has medium weight, with red fruit and plum dominating. The wine has great purity and a silky texture and is well balanced.

Score: 94/++

The 2008 Yarra Yering Dry Red No1 is the Bordeaux blend on which the winery's fame is based, I suppose. It tasted of red currant and black cherries, perhaps a little fruity, but a good structure is backing up the wine. This elegant Bordeaux finishes on a soft note.

Score: 93/+

The 2001 Yarra Yering Underhill Shiraz was shown to illustrate the aging of the wines. This wine had an unusual fruit set. I could not quite get my head around it. Again, the wine has medium body weight, with minty and earthy flavours. It tends to be the bigger and more masculine of the two Shirazes, and is certainly aging well.

Score: 92/-

Overall, the wines were quite impressive. They were very young to taste and did not show their full potential on the night, I am sure. Good texture and elegant structure will ensure they live for a long time.