About The Pack
The Yarra Valley is one of Australia's most vibrant wine regions with a plethora of different wine style to explore.
Where many regions have their specialty, the Yarra Valley produces some of Australia's finest expressions of a myriad of different varieties.
From Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to Syrah and Cabernet, it's a region that shows amazing diversity. This pack lets you explore some of the Yarra's top examples of these varieties and takes you on a tour of the region from the comfort of your own home.
2018 Mount Mary Reflexion Chardonnay
"Very good drinking here."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
Chardonnay is one of winemaker Sam Middleton's specialities.
Here's a great value example of his talents from his home block, the revered, Mount Mary vineyard in the Yarra Valley.
For the 2018, Sam isolated the younger plantings of Chardonnay to release under the Reflexion label. It was made in the same way as the iconic Mount Mary Chardonnay and Triolet, with full barrel fermentation, and a healthy amount of solids for added palate texture and weight.
In Sam's opinion, it's a fresher, more lively style of Chardonnay from his family home.
Read more about 2018 Mount Mary Reflexion Chardonnay2019 Salo Chardonnay
"Very excellent."
Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
This 2019 Chardonnay is a great example to date of what these two brilliant winemakers are trying to achieve in their colab project.
The fruit comes from the Full Moon vineyard in the cooler Gladysdale sub region of the Upper Yarra Valley, with all the hard work being put in in the vineyard rather than the winery. It's very simply whole bunch pressed into old, large format oak, with wild yeasts no additions.
It's a natural, energetic, highly characterful Chardonnay, expressing the slightly wild side if these two wonderful winemakers. The last few vintages have sold out in short order as this wine has developed its own following. The 2019 release does not disappoint.
Read more about 2019 Salo Chardonnay2019 Hoddles Creek 1er Yarra Valley Pinot Noir
"There’s a darkness, an earthiness, to the Pinot Noir releases from HCE in 2019."
Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
Now firmly ensconced as one of the Yarra Valley's most collectable Pinot Noirs, the 1er from Hoddles Creek never disappoints.
This immaculate vineyard in the Upper Yarra produces some of the region's finest fruit. Winemaker Franco D'Anna only releases it in the best vintages. With the 2019 release, he thinks he has made one of their best to date.
The 2019 is long and exceptionally well balanced. Lower yields and increased demand will mean that this will be only available for a limited time.
A wine of remarkable value and world class quality - if you're a lover of Pinot Noir then this is a must buy. This is Australian Pinot Noir at its very best.
Read more about 2019 Hoddles Creek 1er Yarra Valley Pinot Noir2018 Gembrook Hill Pinot Noir
"It presents in its signature transparent way but the complexity is all there and so too is the length. This is an excellent wine."
Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)
The Gembrook Hill Pinot Noir is a beautiful thing to drink.
It's impeccable Pinot Noir from this region. Yarra Valley Pinot Noir in a tailored suit, slicked hair, and polished shoes. It's as sleek and stylish as you could ask for. This special site in the Upper Yarra has yielded some of the region's best Pinot Noirs over the last decade or more.
This is a highly sought-after Pinot and winemaker Andrew Marks has knocked this one out of the park, once again.
Read more about 2018 Gembrook Hill Pinot Noir2019 Dappled Single Vineyard Fin de la Terre Shiraz
"Fin de La Terre" translates to "The End of the Earth" - winemaker Shaun Crinion says it takes so long to drive to this vineyard during vintage feels like you're about to reach the edges of our planet.
The drive is worth it. The Shiraz fruit that comes from this Steels Creek vineyard is stunning.
The 2018 vintage was fermented as 100% whole bunches, Shaun thinks the combination of sweet fruit generated from cab mac (carbonic maceration or whole berry ferment) needs the spice and architecture that the stalks provide to be a well balanced wine.
This is a beautiful, elegant representation of Yarra Syrah.
Read more about 2019 Dappled Single Vineyard Fin de la Terre Shiraz2018 Mac Forbes Hugh Cabernet Blend
Mac Forbes believes the Yarra Valley's best wine is, in fact, the Cabernet blend , rather than Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.
He's been inspired by the wines of Mount Mary where he worked for many years. This blend, named after Mac's father Hugh, is every bit the highly fragrant, medium-bodied and elegant style of Bordeaux blend the region is famous for.
The 2018 season in the Yarra Valley brought lovely ripeness to the Cabernet et. al. in this blend and has resulted in one of Mac's best releases of the wine to date.
This site offering perhaps a little more 'flesh' on release than previous versions of Hugh. If you like your Cabernet blends in a more subtle and elegant style, this is simply stunning. Only made in tiny quantities, this will mature gracefully for many years to come.
Read more about 2018 Mac Forbes Hugh Cabernet Blend