One of Victoria's true heritage wines, Yarra Yering Dry Red No.1 is primarily a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Malbec and a touch of Petit Verdot. Planted on a historic Yarra Valley site by the late Dr Bailey Carrodus, this wine is full of complex aromas of plum and berry which is followed by rich fruits with an oak and cedar slant. A wine drinking well now and value for the true wine lover.

The 16ha Wombat Creek Vineyard at Gladysdale is the highest in the Yarra Valley, at 420m. Planted in 1988 on north-east facing slopes, it was originally intended for sparkling wines, but has been transitioned to Pinot Noir (and Chardonnay) for table wine. The underlying iron-based red volcanic soil and rock contribute to wines with a distinctive soft yet long and firm palate. MV6 clone Pinot Noir grapes are hand-picked with 20% destemmed to the base of the vat for a pied de cuve ferment. The vats were then filled with whole bunches and closed to allow a semi-carbonic maceration to occur. Some foot-stomping takes place to release more juice and extend skin-contact time. After two weeks the wine is pressed to tight-grained, 228 litre, French barriques (about 18% new) for 10 months before blending and bottling without fining or filtration.The wine is noted for its soft texture and long, well-structured palate

Its fair to say Luke Lambert hasn't looked back since 'relocating' his Syrah to the Tibooburra vineyard. This southwest sloping site lies in the southeastern corner of the Valley, near Gembrook, and might be the coolest microclimate of the Yarra. The site is expertly managed by Greg Kerr, the grower who planted the vineyard in 2001. The soils here are considered very unusual for the Yarra, comprising a seam of black volcanic topsoil over yellow clay with a smattering of granite rock throughout. Furthermore, the quality of the clonal material in Tibooburra supplies Lambert with deeper and darker Syrah fruit that also has more depth and structure. This is what drew him to the site and a good chunk of the reason the Syrah has become a touchstone example of cool-climate Yarra Shiraz.

All fruit is hand-picked early in the morning and immediately de-stemmed but not crushed. Some batches are left to cold soak for 4-5 days, while others are fermented immediately. Both natural and cultured yeasts are used. Both pumping over and punching down are used for cap management. Some ferments undergo post-ferment maceration depending on tannin structure and style. Wine lovers have a lot to thank (Hoddles Creek winemaker) Franco dAnna for... He crafts his affordable range with the same care and attention as his premium wines, meaning that even when watching ones pennies one can still drink top class wine. Toni Paterson MW of The Real Review After fermentation the wine is gently pressed to oak barrels, 30% new, 30% one year old, the rest two and three years old. After 11 months of barrel maturation, the wine is assembled and bottled without filtration or fining. Hoddles Creek Pinot Noir typically shows aromas and flavours of red berries and dark cherry. Ripe, firm mid-palate tannins give structure and lead into a long, attractive finish with pleasing acidity.

Mac Forbes philosophy towards pinot is to look after the detail, keep it simple and respect the fruit. The onus is on fruit quality and balance and not on winemaking solutions or corrections. For us winemaking is an extension of the vineyard where we aim to capture the fruit expression and carry this through to bottle. We pick when the fruit is ripe but still crunchy to taste. The Yarra Valley Pinot is a blend of our declassified barrels from each of our single vineyard wines. Their Pinot is rich red cherries, raspberries and subtle oak. A firm structure through the mid-palate with fine gravelly tannins and a layered savoury finish.

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.

Lychee and green Peach aromas and flavours characterise this wine. Addition of 10% aged Reserve wine contributes to the palate weight and length to give great drinkability. Try with Thai beef salad.

There is a delicate perfume of Kirsch and dried strawberry with underlying dried bouquet garni. This is a light to medium-bodied wine with a supple yet generously flavoured palate.

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