Regional Victoria Wines

An intense, mineral wine fully ripe but lean, taught and intense with savoury, creamy elements. Fragrant notes of orange blossom, nectarine stone, spice and subtle nuttiness are usual with a vibrant, tight, long palate highlighted by clean acidity, wonderful texture and fine length. The Kostas Rind Chardonnay is grown in a 1.5 hectare plot. The wine is fermented in French barrels of which typically 20% are new. Fermentation occurs without the addition of cultured yeast and the wine remains in barrel on yeast lees over winter with only a small amount of malo-lactic conversion taking place. It is racked around eight months after vintage, and...

The Oakridge 2023 Yarra Valley Pinot Noir has an immediate explosion of fruit aromas on the nose, with dark cherry, blackberry and pomegranate with elements of spice and toast adding complexity. The palate displays a lush and layered density of fruit with dark cherry and red berry flavours with plush fruit tannins woven in adding complexity. There is a soft yet bright acid line providing drive and length to wine before the classic fantail finish of a great Yarra Pinot Noir.

The Real Review Deep-ish red-purple, bright and clear; the bouquet is sweetly cherry varietal, bold and brash, with a generous quota of oak. It has a firm tannin backbone that suggests either food or a stint in the cellar would suit it. A solid pinot noir with a big frame, that would surely reward some extra cellar time.   95 points. Huon Hooke - Jan 08 2024   This is up there as one of the finest Cri de Coeurs to date. It retains a core of cherry fruit, some kirsch, chinotto, blood orange juice and zest. Plus lots of spices and cedar wood flavours – not oaky, though. Fuller bodied, textural tannins with a little hazelnut...

Whole berry/bunch open fermentation for 3 weeks; matured for 10 months in French oak. The Willowlake vineyard is one of the first to venture to the Upper Yarra. Balance is the key word for this beautiful pinot, the red cherry/berry fragrance is mirrored by the palate, where delicate but clear savoury notes of spice are woven through the red fruit palate and aftertaste. 97 points. James Halliday Published 20 November 2022.   Halliday Wine Companion - 97pts “Trophy winner for the Best Yarra Valley Pinot at the 2023 Australian Pinot Challenge. A bright, medium crimson red. A glorious and pure bouquet redolent with red and black...

Gold Medal International Cool Climate Wine Show 96 Points & considered special value for money - Halliday Wine Companion   " Comes into the world fully formed and showing impeccable balance and integration, with the kind of budding complexity that brings a smile to this wine drinker's lips. The ageing-potential factor is high with this one. Layer upon layer of fresh-picked stone fruits, citrus, apple, almond meal, spice and almond amaretti are joined by mouth-watering, cleansing acidity. Flavours persist through to a long finish." 96/100 Jenni Port Wine Companion

"There’s a generosity to the ’23 chardonnays, yet they come packaged with steely, pristine acidity. There’s a succulence here with flavours of poached peaches, dried pears, ginger powder and an appealing honeycomb-nougat, even an umami-like chicken-stock character. Pockets of lemon zest, and the acidity brings it all together, ensuring a long finish with refreshment guaranteed."   JH 95 Jane F Wine Companion

SELECTION Selection for this Chardonnay focused on premium fruit from the cool slopes of the Upper Yarra Valley , Gladysdale (Willowlake) and Wandin East (Barkala), with a touch of estate fruit from Coldstream. VINTAGE 2023 A vintage defined by cool, wet conditions, low crops and harvesting late into autumn. The resulting wines have great depth of flavour and vibrant, balanced acidities. WINEMAKING A traditional winemaking approach was used to produce this wine – handpicking and whole bunch pressing directly to 500 litre French oak puncheons for natural fermentation followed by a 9-month maturation on lees. TASTING NOTE Pale straw and...

Whole bunch pressed to a mix of new (40%) and seasoned French oak for eleven months, it underwent wild yeast fermentation with 50% going through malolactic fermentation. Detail is the buzzword here with layers of interest seeking your attention. White petals, almond nougat, pistachios and barbecued white fleshed nectarines make a neat intro with buttered toast and whipped cream coming from the oak. Possessing well-handled weight without being bulky, a lemony drive is a consistent thread towing you along for a splendid ride. Focused with tension, it drives long with a fine textural presence on close. It's a moreish wine that urges...

The Original Vineyard has over its history become know for its signature perfumed bouquet and silky, pure palate. This relatively quartz riddled, gently north sloping three acre vineyard produces very fine, spicy, fragrant wine that has high natural acidity and develops beautifully given 6-10 years careful cellaring. As it ages the depth of aroma increases in and the palate becomes increasingly harmonious and is characterized by a sweet fruited, textured flourish. In comparison to the Block Five this wine is more seductive and delicious in its youth whilst still significantly rewarding cellar time. The wine spends 15-17 months in French...

"Brings cool-climate virtuosity to the glass with a pinot that is both wild in nature and elegant in purpose. Sour cherry, cranberry, dried leaves, briar and earthy scents are then mirrored on the palate, which is well defined by a sinewy, fine tannin presence. Clean and precise in delivery, with a cranberry-like tartness that gets the gastric juices in a whirl." Jenni Port Wine Companion 93/100

"A bit of a chameleon here as it starts out deceptively light and fine. There are flutters of cherries and warm spices tempered by tangy cranberry juice–like acidity and fine sandy tannins, then the flavours build and its shape changes. It leaves a lasting impression. Compelling." Jane F Wine Companion 95/100