Yering Station has a rich history which began in 1838 when the Scottish Ryrie brothers established a property in the heart of the Yarra Valley naming it Yering, an Aboriginal name, and planted Victoria’s first vineyard. In the 1850’s Yering Station was acquired by Swiss-French migrant Paul de Castella. He greatly extended the vineyards, planting with cuttings imported from France, including some from Château Lafite. He is widely regarded as the father of the wine industry in the Yarra Valley. He built a house and a garden, planting 330 elm trees along the driveway, which still stand today and also built the winery, which is now the cellar door. Paul’s winemaking achievements were recognised in 1861, when Yering wines won the prized Argus Gold Cup and in 1889 when they won a Grand Prix at the Universal Exhibition in Paris – the sole award for a wine made in the southern hemisphere. This marked the beginning of global acclaim. Yering passed through other hands throughout the early 1900’s until it was purchased by the current owners: the Rathbone Family in 1996 (they also own Xanadu in Margaret River and Mount Langi Ghiran in the Grampians). The same year winemaker and CEO Darren Rathbone launched Yarrabank, a joint venture with Champagne Devaux to produce Traditional Method sparkling wine, which has gone on to be celebrated as a premium Australian sparkling wine. Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvedre and Cabernet Sauvignon are cultivated on 112 hectares in five sites across the Yarra Glen and Coldstream subregions of the cool climate Yarra Valley, each with its own subtle changes in soil, aspect and elevation. Yering have an intimate understanding of their vineyards. They have invested in precision viticulture technology, which allows them to map the finest parcels from their best blocks – and even their best rows. In this way they are able to discover micro-variations that reveal immaculate parcels of wine – which is what happened with their sensational flagship wine Scarlett, a seductive and complex Pinot Noir pioneered by the late viticulturist Nathan Scarlett. This wine has been awarded a 99-point score by James Halliday. In the cellar tradition and innovation are seamlessly blended to highlight the distinctive hallmarks of their cool climate fruit. Native yeasts are utilised for fermentation; they employ hand-plunging and the wines are matured in French oak. The wines are meticulously crafted. They vinify each parcel of vines separately, and evaluate them in an annual allocation tasting, where each parcel is randomised and served blind to determine their final home. This 5-Star rated winery is a benchmark for cool climate wines across Australia. They bring the vineyard to the bottle in beautifully poised and elegant wines, which fully express the characteristics of this historic region.
