Yering Station Yarra Valley Reserve Shiraz Viognier

Every vintage, Yering Station's winemaking team randomises all parcels and tastes them blind before assigning a tier — meaning the Reserve designation is earned on merit, not guaranteed by geography. The 2022 season illustrated this discipline starkly: what would have been a Reserve Cabernet was demoted to Single Vineyard for insufficient weight, while this Shiraz held its place. Block C04 at the Carr Vineyard in Coldstream is the primary source — roughly two acres of thin topsoil over well-drained gravel that stresses the vine into concentrated, phenolically ripe fruit without sugar excess. Approximately 3% Viognier is co-fermented with the Shiraz — not blended post-fermentation — bonding the aromatic compounds to the Shiraz skins during maceration for textural integration rather than mere aromatic lift. Wild yeast fermentation, hand-plunging for gentle tannin extraction, and aging in French oak at restrained new-oak levels preserve the Yarra Valley's cool-climate acidity and site-driven minerality. The co-fermentation technique, borrowed from Northern Rhône practice, is unusual in the Yarra Valley context and distinguishes this bottling from the estate's other Reserve reds. The 2022 vintage delivered a moderate season; expect taut structure, freshness, and a drinking window that rewards 3–8 years of cellaring.