2003 Yering Station Yarrabank Cuvée

JancisRobinson.com

• By Richard Hemming, MW
  2/13/2009, (See more on JancisRobinson.com...)

  (Yering Station, Yarrabank Yarra Valley White) Subscribe to see review text.

Halliday Wine Companion

• By James Halliday
  9/5/2007, (See more on Halliday Wine Companion...)

  (Yarrabank Cuvee) Subscribe to see review text.

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  12/12/2008, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (YARRABANK) Champagne SPECIAL Dear Friends, There's nothing like Champagne for the holidays and there's nothing like top quality Champagne for $16. Ok, so this isn't technically "Champagne" but it is the most popular sparkling wine we've ever offered (by a wide margin) - each vintage seems to be even more popular than the last and the 2003 is not only highly decorated but it's the first vintage to receive an even higher score from Jeremy Oliver (Oz's version of Tanzer) than the real thing. The Yarrabank is fussed over like no other sparking wine in the Southern Hemisphere - it is made in conjunction with the Devaux family of Champagne to represent a "grand cru" methode traditional of Australia. You can look up whatever TNs you need to on past vintages but the wine in the bottle speaks for itself - this is one of the only $16 sparkling wines from anywhere in the world (including California) that can compete with versions from around Bouzy - enough said. Produced to be a high-end wine (not a bargain offering) and aged for a full 4-5 years on the lees, this is an uncompromising sparkler made from high altitude parcels (almost 1500ft) of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Yarra Valley - Australia's answer to the Beaune/Beaujolais corridor. It is vibrant, cutting and full of the distinct mineral and varietal tone this valley is know for (see Yarra Yering, Yeringberg, Virgin Hills, Mount Mary, etc). For the price, it's more than a laugh-- it's one of the finest sparkling wine values in the world and I have no problem making that statement (this puts the majority of Spanish Cava to shame): In addition, this wine ages for several years - I tasted a perfectly stored vertical dating back to 1998 and all were not only intact but complex and gaining secondary nuance. A relatively masculine style in youth, the Yarrabank resolves to a more feminine and graceful bottle of bubbly that has few detractors - nearly everyone finds something to admire here. Keep in mind, 2003 in the Yarra was not like 2003 in Europe - it was not a bizarre or torrid season. In sum - this is an insane value (that's the only appropriate phrase I can think of to describe it) Due to low margin and to help the warehouse with packing, please try to keep orders in increments of 3,6 or 12 - it's not a requirement (you may still order 1 bottle or odd numbers) but it would help them pack for shipping and prepare the order for local pick up much faster. Thank you in advance. ONE SHIPMENT ONLY of the 2003 for the US. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for all the reasons mentioned above: 2003 Yarrabank Cuvee Method Traditional (Yarra Valley) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Aus7644

• By Jon Rimmerman
  7/13/2007, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (YARRABANK Cuvee) Yarrabank Dear Friends, I won’t beat around the bush - along with the Billi Billi Shiraz, the Yarrabank is one of the most popular wines we sell every summer (for good reason) and most of you don’t even bother to read the offer anymore - you just ask for the maximum as Champagne in this price range really doesn’t exist anymore. The Yarrabank is a ridiculous value in sparkling wine and it remains one of the very best (if not the best) deals on high-end bubbly in the world. Look up whatever you need to, this wine is pretty much universally praised and I have yet to find a dissenting view (there is always someone out there that disdains something we offer or makes it their life’s work to prove me wrong, but not with this wine - at least not yet). Yarrabank is the pet-project of Champagne Devaux and Yering Station in Australia’s Yarra Valley and no stone is left unturned in its production. The original idea was to make a traditional vintage sparkler (not a NV blend) that would equal the best in Champagne but be relatively inexpensive (I don’t think they anticipated the term “relatively” to be this low when they started). The key to the value of this wine is that is costs them almost as much to produce as they sell it for - it was never meant to be a big revenue source for Yering Station but it’s become one of their most sought after wines and the quality is at such a high level that Michelin starred restaurants have considered and used it for their glass pour (something that was unheard of a few years ago - a sparkling wine from Australia as a glass pour in New York or London?). Hobby or not, the wine is in the bottle and the effort that goes into producing it would be considered over-the top for most but dedication is dedication and the Yarrabank has proven its worth as one of the world’s top aperitifs, bargain or not. From a 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grown in a very cold climate, the wine is completely hand-made and bottle-fermented with Chardonnay that sits on the lees for four years before use. The Pinot Noir is not a run-off - this is premium juice that would normally go into their Reserve Pinot Noir but they cull a small amount to add structure and grip to the Yarrabank. The wine is traditionally vinified in stainless and mammoth, old casks that were brought in just for this purpose. This is a masculine style that has been praised by so many critics and consumers alike that the scores really don’t matter at this point. When you’re sitting out on your veranda on a lazy summer eve, the Yarrabank is like an old friend that you will happily turn to again and again. At this price, the wine is relatively guilt-free and it delivers a fine bead with a piquant and yeasty punch far in excess of its price. From another top vintage, the 2003 carries on where the 2001 left-off and I’m sure it will appear again in James Halliday’s Top 100 (it has for the past 2-3 vintages). Even the curmudgeon Jeremy Oliver gave the 2001 Yarrabank 94pts and the word is that the 2003 has even more “wow” power to its Bollinger-esque style and it has the ability age for a number of years, at least up to 10. The popularity of this wine means increased price and tighter allocations - it has become quite hard to find, even in Australia. I hope all of you indulge in this terrific sparkling wine - it is the equivalent to Champagne at twice the price or more. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - ONE SHIPMENT ONLY of the 2003: 2003 Yarrabank Cuvee’ Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Aus8530