Perched amidst a classic Australiana bush setting, the view from Fiona and Neil’s Yarrh winery overlooks the meandering valley of the Yass River as it snakes its way towards the township.  The grapes at Yarrh are carefully cultivated, and the wines are naturally crafted to conjure a real sense of time and place.

This week’s “swirl” brings to the fore that sense of earth and vintage – the Yarrh Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2018.

The colour of this classic Cabernet is a broodingly deep purple with flashes of dark red.  A swirl invites aromas of black cherries and blackberries with a dusting of white pepper and a sniff of star anise.  The wine is smooth on the palate with ripe, dark berry fruit flavours, a delightful lick of tannin and a lingering finish.

An elegant drop to be sure and worthy of a fine cut of premium beef, simply chargrilled.  Available at the cellar door for $35 or online.

Brent Lello, Yass Valley Wine Columnist

 

Winemakers Sail @ Yarrh

We planted Cabernet Sauvignon as our first block for two reasons:  we loved drinking it, and we were told it was a forgiving vine to grow.  24 years later, we do not regret it.  We’ve had many great vintages since the first of 2001, and the 2018 is one of them.  A brilliant year, moderate all round, with plenty of warmth to ripen the Cabernet, one of the last varieties we pick at Yarrh.

Our Cabernet is a very food-friendly wine.  Being a little lighter and leaner than your average Cabernet makes it a versatile food match.  It still goes well with big flavours like grilled T-bones and grilled giant mushrooms, but also won’t overpower lighter flavours like a nice mushroomy camembert.

It’s fun to find new food matches for your wines.  At Yarrh, we offer our guests an option to book in and try a set of four wines with four matching flavours.  We call it a Winemaker’s Sail, and we change it seasonally.  Our current offering, the Autumn Sail, matches Riesling with scallop, Pinot with duck breast, Shiraz with baked Brie and Shiraz with grilled kangaroo fillet.

We’re now contemplating our Winter Sail (surely it’s not winter already!) for June and July (we’re closed in August).  The Cabernet is a shoo-in for the Winter Sail – it’s warm, rich fruits and depth of palate are perfect for colder months and rich winter foods.

Another shoo-in for the Winter Sail is our newly released reserve Sangiovese – the Brunette.  She’s a deeper, broodier interpretation of Sangiovese, made exclusively of our Brunello and Grosso clones.  Characteristic cherry flavours move to almost marzipan with this one and match well with cheeses like parmesan or pecorino.

We’ll keep up the “research”; stay tuned for the results!