Yering Station Yarra Valley Reserve Pinot Noir

Yering Station's annual blind allocation tasting is the structural discipline behind every Reserve designation: all parcels are randomised and assessed without identity before tier assignment, meaning this wine earned its Reserve status on the 2022 vintage's own terms rather than by block formula. The estate's Pinot Noir sites sit on volcanic loam slopes across Yarra Glen and Coldstream — a soil type that retains just enough moisture to sustain vine stress while the cool maritime climate slows ripening, building phenolic complexity well ahead of sugar accumulation. Wild yeast fermentation drives primary fermentation, with hand-plunging replacing mechanical pump-overs for gentler tannin extraction. Aging proceeds in French oak barrels and puncheons with a balance of new and seasoned wood, keeping oak influence subordinate to site character. The 2022 season was moderate in the Yarra Valley — notably, the winemaking team demoted what would have been a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon to Single Vineyard tier that year, citing insufficient weight, which underscores how strictly the allocation discipline operates. The Reserve Pinot Noir is sealed under screwcap, consistent with the estate's 20-year closure policy. Drink 2025–2030.