Yering Station Village Chadonnay 2010, Yarra Valley, Australia

Yering Station Village Chadonnay 2010 from the Yarra Valley in Victoria, Australia is a pale lemon coloured wine with green tints, it has peach, melon and spice on the nose which is carried through to the palate which is rounded and etheral. The acidity saves this ripe, spicey fruit mix from being flabby and fat, the oak is obvious but cleverly integrated, it is sweet and structural, edgy winemaking at its best! Barrel fermantation is part of this wines make-up and this is where the nuts and creamy texture come from, 9 months maturation in barrel furthers the complexity of this wine and underwrites its longevity. The length is long and persistant, rounded sweet spices and white stone fruits with a little pear in the mix - a well crafted and exciting wine.Wild ferment yeast also helps to increase the layered interest.
Score : 83 and can be bought through Nywines at a cost of just over £14 per bottle.

About the Yarra Valley

The Yarra Valley was Victoria's first wine growing district with a history stretching back 170 years. It is known as the birthplace of Victoria's wine industry. Vines were first planted in 1838 and viticulture spread rapidly through the 1860s and 1870s And is now recognised as one of Australia's foremost cool climate regions, capable of making classic styles from a wide range of varieties. It is located less than one hour's drive east of Melbourne and is currently home to more than 80 wineries and although grows many grapes successfully it is well known for its high quality for production of premium Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

The Yarra Valley is one of Australia's coolest regions, with elevation varying from 50 metres to 400 metres. Rainfall is winter/spring dominant, with the summer relatively cool, dry and humid and there is limited maritime influence a small diurnal temperature range reflects the proximity of the sea. Frost is rarely a problem, but can affect the lower vineyards on the valley floor from time to time. A rainfall of 750-950 millimetres and restricted water holding capacity in some soils, irrigation is considered essential − although the extent of its use does vary significantly between producers. Another  point worth noting is that the Yarra Valley is Phyloxera free.

Victoria's first vineyard, Yering Station, is located in the 'heart' of the Yarra Valley only one hours drive from Melbourne. As a family-owned winery and led by Winemaker Willy Lunn since 2008. It is set in a stunning location with breathtaking views, beautifully kept gardens and dramatic architecture.

Victoria’s first vineyard was planted at Yering Station in 1838. The Scottish-born Ryrie brothers ventured into the Yarra Valley as they moved their cattle south from Sydney. Taking up a grazing license of 43 000 acres, they named the property ‘Yering’, its Aboriginal name. The Ryrie’s planted two varieties, the Black Cluster of Hamburg and a white grape variety called Sweetwater. During the early 1850’s they returned to Sydney and Paul de Castella took ownership of Yering Station, developing the property from what remained primarily a cattle station into a landmark of winemaking in Victoria.

Paul de Castella arrived in the Yarra Valley after traveling from his home town- the Neuchatel district in Switzerland. Many Swiss settled in the Yarra Valley around this time due to the sympathetic presence of the Victorian Governor’s wife, Sophie La Trobe, who also came from the region. Without them, the story of wine in the Yarra Valley would have been very different.
By the early 20th century, the Yarra Valley wine industry was in decline. The phylloxera epidemic had destroyed many Victorian vineyards and although it never reached the Yarra Valley, economic and social factors (such as palate preference) impacted upon cool climate viticulture in Victoria. The Yarra Valley area returned to dairy farming. It was not until the early 1970’s that, in response to the changing cultural demands of the new generation, coupled with the growing success of other Australian regions, the Yarra Valley vineyards began to thrive once more.
After changing hands several times throughout the early-to-mid 1900’s, Yering Station was purchased by the Rathbone family in 1996. A further 100 acres of vines were planted and that same year a joint venture was signed with Champagne Devaux, a leading Champagne house in France, to make the now famed Yarrabank sparkling. The Rathbone family made plans for the development of a state-of-the-art winery to accommodate and complement the anticipated increase in winemaking standards. John Evans moved across from nearby Yarra Ridge to manage the expanding vineyards.

Melbourne architect Robert Conti was appointed and designs were laid to recreate Yering Station as a landmark tourist destination and key contributor to the international wine community.