By Farr Viognier
Gary Farr is Victorian wine royalty and is now making his By Farr wines in collaboration with his son, Nick. The results have been wines of utmost pedigree and character and this Viognier is no exception. While retaining the trademark complexity and palate texture, this Viognier has a wonderful floral lift and aromatic nature to it that makes it undeniably appealing to drink young.
By Farr Chardonnay
Gary Farr is still one of Victoria's true Chardonnay maestro's and his Chardonnay By Farr is another example. Taken from the original By Farr vineyard, this is a clearly a wine of true clarity and finesse. Flavours of melon and hints of spice with wonderful oak integration mean this wine is simply delicious upon release, but handle some careful medium-term cellaring.
Mount Mary Chardonnay
At Mount Mary they aim to make a Chardonnay of great length that is able to reach a balance between complexity & finesse. Unashamedly Burgundian in concept, local Yarra Valley practices are employed to fully express the unique terroir, including the wine not going through Malolactic fermentation as Mount Mary's cool-climate leaves the fruit with ideal acidity when picked. Matured in 20% new French barriques with the remainder in older barrels and large casks and along with grape solids, this is a Chardonnay of impressive texture and complexity.
Giant Steps Primavera Vineyard Pinot Noir
This 20ha vineyard was planted on red clay loam soil at Woori Yallock in 2001 by Lou Primavera, with whom Giant Steps has a long-standing grape-supply relationship. Pinot Noir (114, MV6 and G8V3 clones) grown here on the north and north east facing slopes at 230m is noted for its complex structure and pronounced perfume. The 114 and MV6 are fermented as whole bunches in open vats, while the G8V3 is destemmed, given a long cold-soak and fermented separately to enhance its aromatic contribution. All ferments use indigenous yeasts and the whole-bunch components are periodically foot-stomped to release additional juice. The wines are pressed to 228 litre, French barriques (about 8% new) for 11 months before blending and bottling without fining or filtration.
Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir
Produced from one of the Top 100 Wineries in the World the Giant Steps Pinot Noir is complex with terrific varietal character. With a minimalist approach to winemaking this Yarra Valley favourite oozes elegance and drinkability. Giant Steps is an independent winery in Healesville, Victoria, owned by Phil Sexton. Phil first made his name in establishing some noted micro-breweries, such as Little Creatures, and later established Devils Lair in Margaret River. First released in 2001, Giant Steps focuses exclusively on the distinctive expression of single vineyard sites in the Yarra Valley. Grapes are drawn from estate and leased vineyards, as well as a selection of long-term contracted vineyards. Giant Steps wines are produced fastidiously in the vineyard and vinified with minimal intervention so that each is a faithful expression of site, vintage and culture. Giant Steps focuses on restrained Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and cool climate Cabernet/Merlot blends. These single vineyard wines are sourced from five different vineyards throughout the Yarra, so each is a fingerprint of location and site personality. The name Giant Steps comes in part from Phils love for jazz and John Coltranes album of that same name, and in part due the Giant Step Phil took in relocating with his family from Margaret River to the Yarra Valley. Giant Steps wines are always exclusively single vineyard Yarra Valley wines. They are hand made in small batches using gravity flow principles. Production of the Giant Steps wines is very limited with some vineyards producing as little as 200 cases each vintage some wines are not produced each year if vintage conditions do not allow. These wines are often hard to find in retail outlets as they are mainly sold through the cellar door and through selected restaurants.
Yarra Yarra The Yarra Yarra
Place of Changing Winds Larderdark Chardonnay
Yarra Yering Dry Red No 2
From some of the earliest plantings of Shiraz in the Yarra Valley with vines dating back to 1969. Shiraz (96%) co-fermented with small parcels of Viognier, Marsanne and Mataro aged 12 to 18 months in 50% new French oak barrels produces a wine that is perfumed and feminine with the tannins and acidity as integral to the wine as the fruit. Proven to age for 25+ years, Yarra Yering Dry Red No 2 was the first Cote Rotie style blend made in Australia
Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay
Kevin Cullen was a passionate believer in the quality of Margaret River as a wine region and particularly of its potential to become one of the great areas for both Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Here's his proof! [Biodynamic]
Kumeu River Maté's Chardonnay
Kumeu River Maté's Vineyard Chardonnay is named in honour Maté Barjkovich after he reworked a unique parcel of land in 1990 which was planted to Chardonnay. The resulting wines today are a pure balance between texture and purity. Lifted notes of pear and citrus are complimented by creamy mouthfeel and balanced acid. A fantastic example of a modern new world style.
