Vibrant purple red. Lifted fragrant and fresh black and redcurrant fruit followed by jasmine like florals, ground spices, summer pudding and pannacotta. A secondary look with air shows whole bunch notes of spice and sauvage adding complexity. The palate is juicy soft and round, laced with black fruit, raspberries, white pepper and spices. Very much medium bodied, this has beautiful line of acidity that adds length and balance to the velvety, gentle core of sweet fruit. A pure, fresh, fragrant wine.

OAKRIDGE WINES 864 Winery Block Cabernet Sauvignon, Yarra Valley

OAKRIDGE WINES 864 Close Planted Block Shiraz, Yarra Valley

Oakridge 864 Block 1 Hazeldene Vineyard Pinot Noir 2024 exemplifies single-site expression from the upper reaches of the Yarra Valley. Sourced from north-facing vines planted in the red volcanic soils of Gladysdale, this wine is crafted with meticulous hand-picking, a touch of whole-bunch fermentation, and careful ageing in French oak. The nose is vibrant, with lifted florals, fresh red berries, boysenberry and mountain herbs, and hints of subtle carbonic complexity. On the palate, vivid raspberry and plum characters glide along a net of silky, elastic tannins, with succulent fruit and fine structure carrying through to impressive depth and length.

The 864 Close Planted Syrah is a wine of light and shade. The brightness of red and black fruits, with hints of bramble, are layered with stewed rhubarb, licorice, pastry, and a cabinet of spice. This multidimensional syrah boasts a long finish with mouth-coating, pinot-like tannins, and a pleasing moreish quality. The Close Planted block, on Coldstreams’s grey alluvial loam, is east-facing at 120 metres above sea level. The R6VW28 clone is planted at 5,200 plants per hectare, and is farmed to yield 6.3 tonnes per hectare. Grapes are hand-picked and sorted to open top fermenters with 70% of fruit placed over 30% whole bunches. During its three-week fermentation, the wine is regularly pumped over and plunged. At the end of this process, it’s pressed to French oak puncheons to mature for 14 months on gross lees. Representing the pinnacle of winemaking at Oakridge, the 864 range are high-scoring, limited-release, single-block wines that stand out internationally as exceptional varietal examples.