Victoria: Cutting Edge Meets Classic

BY ANGUS HUGHSON |&nbsp;MARCH 07, 2024Bastard
Hill is not a vineyard name that rolls off the tongue easily. It instantly
evokes images of hardship and toil—of back-breakingly steep slopes. It’s also a
far cry from the classic Australian landscape, with much of the continent
flattened by 3.8 billion years of erosion. But that is exactly what you find
after snaking through tall timber forests that wind up to one of the highest
vineyards in the Yarra Valley. The volcanic loam soils betray the area’s
geological history, while the angled hillsides are also a godsend, helping
fruit in the higher-elevation vineyards to achieve full ripeness. This is just
one of a myriad of viticultural environments on offer in the southeast
Victorian regions of Yarra Valley and Gippsland.

While
bordering one another, the Yarra and Gippsland are also, in some ways,
diametrically opposed. The inland Yarra Valley, located among the higher
reaches of the Yarra River, which passes through Melbourne before entering Port
Phillip Bay, is almost aristocratic, with nearly 200 years of winemaking
history and a significant back catalog of long-lived wines. There are impressive
cellar doors and fine dining options to match. The coastal Gippsland region is wilder
and more rustic, an uncut diamond with flashes of brilliance and growing
momentum. Between them, they showcase the cool climate of the southeastern corner of Australia generated
by the nearby Southern Ocean.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1709822435293-Fog+rising+at+Yarra+Yering_copy.jpg">Fog rising at Yarra Yering. Twists and Turns in Yarra Valley The
Yarra Valley was Victoria’s first wine region, with vineyards planted soon
after settlement at Yering Station in the first half of the nineteenth
century. Phylloxera and economic hardship saw the last of these original
vineyards pulled out in the 1930s. The first new shoots emerged in the 1960s, thanks
to the establishment of Wantirna Estate, Yarra Yering and Mount Mary. Their
proprietors—Reg and Bertina Egan, Bailey Carrodus and John and Marli Middleton—were
students of the classics, with each having a slightly different take, although
all were enamored by the wines of Bordeaux. Before Shiraz stamped its authority
across the country, Cabernet Sauvignon, from these three trailblazers, became
highly desirable and set the region’s early course. The Yarra, cooler than
Bordeaux but warmer than Burgundy, became a home for elegant, midweight, finely
balanced Cabernet Sauvignon blends, with refinement and aromatic detail the
local hallmarks. These three pioneering wineries remain regional standard-bearers
after more than 50 years.

However,
in the late 1980s, the Yarra dramatically changed track and helped to kickstart
a national move into cooler viticultural zones. While Cabernet Sauvignon had
been the Yarra’s leading light and still should be in some parts, Melbourne’s
vibrant food scene, with encouragement from a strong sommelier community and
general wine culture, helped build what has become a revolution. The setting-up
of the Coldstream Hills winery in 1985 by one of the country’s leading wine
communicators, Burgundy fanatic James Halliday, no doubt gave plenty of others
the confidence to follow his lead, as did Chandon, the local outpost of Moët
&amp; Chandon­, which was established in 1986. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
plantings exploded, with 50 new wineries emerging over the next two decades, as
did interest in cooler, upper Yarra sites, with some vineyards planted at up to
400 meters in elevation. Today, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay make up almost 70% of
plantings, with 2,500 hectares under vine. Unsurprisingly, over time, Yarra
Valley also attracted some significant international players; Dominique Portet
(with family connections to Château Lafite-Rothschild and Clos du Val) arrived
in 2000, while California’s Jackson Family added local trailblazing winery
Giant Steps to their Australian stable in 2020.

Yet
the Yarra experienced more than simply a broadening of plantings and
exploration of viticultural landscapes. The region also grew into a hive of
creativity and was really the first in the country to truly embrace cool-climate
winemaking at a broad scale, helping to evolve the national narrative. Aspiring
vignerons scoured maps for cooler sites with advantageous solar exposure while
leading winemakers tinkered with well-established winemaking techniques to help
showcase the quality of local fruit in the best possible way.

That
ethos remains to this day, the Yarra sitting on the cutting edge of the modern
Australian style. Walk into any cellar, and it is not unusual to find wines
that push the traditional local boundaries, including whole-bunch Cabernet
Sauvignon, skin-contact wines made in amphora and more traditional styles
crafted from Portuguese varieties. Newer grapes for the region, such as Gamay,
Savagnin, Nebbiolo, Tempranillo and Sangiovese, are also increasingly found
among classic Bordelais and Burgundian options. Experimentation has become a
part of the regional DNA, while Yarra Valley has also retained a classical base
of predominantly Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Yarra has
something for everyone. Even Nebbiolo, that difficult Italian mistress, can
flourish. Luke Lambert’s 2022 vintage is utterly brilliant and reminiscent of Cru Barbaresco.

Part
of that exploratory spirit is driven by the sheer variety of terroirs on offer.
Elevations alone range from 30 to 400 meters, with every conceivable aspect.
Some vineyards sit overlooking broad, open country, while others are tucked
away in valley corners. The Upper Yarra paradoxically sits to the southeast, where
the river emerges from the Yarra ranges. Here, in sub-regions such as Hoddles
Creek and Gladysdale, younger red volcanic soils are common, while the lower
Yarra is more characterized by older, sandy clay loams.

There
are also continental aspects to the Yarra climate as a whole because of a level
of protection from maritime influences. Here, temperatures drop quickly toward
the end of the growing season, helping to retain acidity in the resulting
wines. Overall, this highly complex range of terroirs and climactic conditions
provides a broad palette of options in relation to grape varieties and styles,
which sees quality wines ranging from Sauvignon Blanc to Northern-Rhône-like
Syrah.

Today,
though, while Cabernet can be king from the right site, the Yarra’s strongest
suit is its stylish expressions of Chardonnay from leading exponents, which are
generally sourced from the cooler, higher-elevation sites. Perhaps more than
any other region, Yarra winemakers, particularly for Chardonnay, craft wines
with a strong resemblance to modern, weighty Burgundy. Midweight, streamlined
and savory, with moderate alcohol and gentle accents of new oak, the Yarra
offers up many benchmarks for the modern Australian style, which is often
achieved with significant use of solids and avoiding or minimizing malolactic
ferments.

Higher
vineyards are also important for the region’s stylish Pinot Noirs, particularly
in warmer vintages, to assist in retaining finer aromatics, often aided by the
significant use of whole bunches. Again, the wines are modeled on Burgundy with
strong savory undertones, although they often possess attractive
approachability. An important cornerstone to the recent success of the Yarra
Valley and the development of these benchmark styles has been the quality of
winemaking talent the region has managed to attract. The likes of Steve
Flamsteed, Mac Forbes, Ben Portet, David Bicknell and Sarah Crowe have helped
to refine the Yarra style over the last decade, with their work also having
broader implications across the country.Phylloxera VastarixIt
is, unfortunately, not all roses in Yarra Valley, although the challenges have
also brought opportunity. Late in 2006, the dreaded Phylloxera was first
detected, and while an extensive range of measures has been taken to halt
progress, its slow march continues unabated. Australia is lucky to have many
regions without Phylloxera, so this came as a wake-up call for the whole
industry to increase protections around the country. Today, some, but not all,
of the biggest names in the Yarra have prized vineyards under threat, with a
massive regional replanting underway, the cost of which is likely to exceed AUD
$1 Billion.

There
is, however, a silver lining regarding wine styles and climate. Changing
weather patterns have already had an impact, with some lower Yarra sites
increasingly less well suited to early varietal choices, many of which were
made decades ago (particularly for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir). There have also
been significant gains in understanding various clones under Australian
conditions, so vineyards are now being carefully replanted based upon a
far-improved knowledge base, with a firm eye toward the future. This has increased
plantings of what were previously alternative varieties, such as Nebbiolo and
Tempranillo, but also resulted in better clonal choices, which can now be
assisted with rootstocks that are well suited to regional conditions for
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

There
is also an opportunity for dramatic viticultural updates. A favorite has been
moving row orientation from north-south to east-west. There have been
significant changes in vine density and spacing to increase total vines-per-hectare,
which not only provides more dappled light to the fruit zone but potentially
also sees higher quality fruit available at a younger vine age. Shading the hot
afternoon sun also improves the retention of finer aromatics. According to
Steve Flamsteed, who was a key influence at Giant Steps for many years, “North-facing
sites were more attractive back in the day when we were more about harnessing
as much sunlight as possible. Now, it's more about hiding from it a bit, or at
least managing that sunlight better—we are about a more dappled light
approach.”

All
these changes have allowed the Yarra Valley to put in new foundations that will
help retain the integrity of high-quality cool climate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
and Cabernet Sauvignon while also exploring new opportunities, including with
Syrah. This dovetails beautifully with the refreshing Yarra ethos of protecting
the classics while pursuing new potential opportunities, all through a quality
lens. In the coming years, these changes will no doubt be viewed in a positive
light, forcing Yarra Valley to think deeply about its future and act.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1709822553093-Giant+Steps+Bastard+Hill+vineyard_copy.jpg">Giant Steps' Bastard Hill vineyard. Countercultures The
drive from Yarra Valley to Gippsland is short, a 90-minute hop enough to reach
the first wineries, but the differences are stark and multi-layered. Gippsland
is a massive wine region, with less than 200 hectares planted out of a total
land area of almost four million hectares, stretching from the outskirts of
Melbourne around the south-eastern coast of Victoria up to New South Wales. The
vineyards are largely found on the low coastal plain, hemmed in by the alpine
ranges. Gone are the complex higher elevations of the Yarra and the grand
cellar doors, now replaced by gently rolling hills and boutique operations.
There is also a maritime freshness and vitality to the environment, with vibrant
green hues betraying a region where rainfall and humidity are not in short
supply. The combination of seaside location and mountain influence makes for an
incredibly unique terroir, which in many ways is yet to be fully explored. You
could almost say Gippsland is embryonic if it wasn’t for some very smart
winemakers calling this remote corner of Australia home.

It
is not only the terroir that marks Gippsland as a special place. Without a long
history and the baggage of consumer expectations, there is a distinct feel
among the winemaking community of a counterculture, where new ideas and free thinkers
are embraced. As such, it is also a home to small operations and wines that
radiate with personality. The people and the wines share an approachability and
charm, and during my tour, this was best exemplified by a tasting and chat with
Mark Matthews at Caledonia Australis. For a new generation of winemakers pushed
out of the Melbourne dress circle by astronomic vineyard prices, Gippsland
offers an opportunity to pursue their dreams, often revolving around environmentally
sound viticulture, while crafting stylish wines with a can-do, give-anything-a-crack
attitude. The likes of Bill Downie, Neil Hawkins at The Wine Farm and Patrick
Sullivan have coaxed superb wines from this pristine environment, which seems
destined to attract more talent in the near future.

But
growing grapes and making wine in Gippsland is not always easy. Vast national
parks can be a source of wildfires that wreak havoc, most recently in 2020.
Significant natural rainfall makes Gippsland one of the more challenging
Australian climates viticulturally, so it is never likely to be home to broad-scale
wine production. In terms of temperature change, however, few places are better
protected from a warming planet, with the underlying humidity bringing an
engaging energy and subtlety.

In
fact, Gippsland produces some of Australia’s most understated and unique wines.
While the wines are hard to categorize, as Gippsland is the same size as
Switzerland, this cool, maritime and damp climate does offer something quite
different from many Australian wine regions. There is not a hint of the powerful,
fruit-forward, sunshine-in-the-glass national styles. In fact, it is quite the
opposite. These wines are subtle, understated, finely tuned and distinctly savory,
with marked acidity—wines designed for slow contemplation rather than immediate
appeal. If Margaret River and the Barossa are at one end of the spectrum, then
Gippsland is very much at the other. If asked to pick undervalued regions
around Australia with significant potential to hit the big time, Gippsland
would be close to the top of the list. It’s a region to watch. It also makes a
delightful pigeon pair and contrasts with slick Yarra sophistication, although
the coming years should see that gap narrow.Vintages The
growing seasons of 2020, 2021 and 2022 saw unusual weather patterns in south-eastern
Victoria. While the last two decades have seen slow and steady increases in
temperature, these patterns changed over the last three vintages, with a return
to cooler conditions. For a region striving for success with Burgundian grape
varieties, it comes as a welcome change, seeing some alterations in winery
practices—malolactic ferments are coming back into vogue for Chardonnay to
reduce underlying acidity. Overall, these are years that will please consumers
looking for an alternative to Burgundy that will not break the bank.The 2022 Vintage Two
thousand twenty-two had some challenges but was ultimately a successful vintage
in Yarra Valley and Gippsland, although the season was cool and yields were
low. The second successive La
Niña year with a wet spring and cooler temperatures saw poor flowering, with
some vineyards down 40% and stormy weather damaging young shoots. Significant
rainfall fell regularly throughout much of the growing season, particularly
Gippsland, increasing disease pressure in dense canopies. However, low yields
were advantageous in winemaking, helping to get good ripeness and generosity of
flavor in the resulting wines. Chardonnay is the standout variety for the year.The 2021 Vintage Two
thousand twenty-one was a welcome relief from previous vintages, as the season
was kind in both Yarra Valley and Gippsland. Settled weather during flowering
saw yields bounce back from 2020 with healthy crop levels, and well-timed
rainfall helped to keep canopies in good condition. The year was cool, but a
largely dry end to the season, particularly in Yarra Valley, allowed winemakers
to choose optimal picking ripeness. This is a standout vintage, yielding beautifully
balanced and seamless wines from all varieties with excellent purity of fruit.The 2020 Vintage While
much of Australia was warm and dry in 2020, conditions were more complicated in
the Yarra and Gippsland. A hot and dry start had fruit racing toward another
early vintage. Particularly unsettled weather at flowering did not help, hitting
yields hard (down between 30 and 50%). In late November, wildfires broke out in
East Gippsland, continuing until January. Some, but not all, of the fruit was smoke-tainted,
with the affected wines discarded. Then, with regular showers, the season
turned cool in both Yarra and Gippsland. That shift pivoted the vintage,
creating lighter and fresher wines that are largely best enjoyed over the short
and medium term.

I
tasted these wines in Victoria in November 2023, with follow-up tastings in
Sydney.© 2024, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.<hr> You Might Also Enjoy<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/killer-cabernet-from-coonawarra-and-friends-oct-2023">Killer Cabernet from Coonawarra and Friends</a>, Angus Hughson, October 2023 <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/eruptions-on-the-mornington-peninsula-sep-2023">Eruptions on the Mornington Peninsula</a>, Angus Hughson, September 2023 <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/penfolds-collection-2023-jul-2023">Penfolds Collection 2023</a>, Angus Hughson, July 2023<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/changing-gears-in-barossa-jun-2023">Changing Gears in Barossa</a>, Angus Hughson, June 2023

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