A Yearning for Yarra Yering

I have been a fan of Sarah Crowe’s Yarra Yering wines since my first sip of one of her Pinot Noirs at a wine lunch a few years ago.  When she held a select tasting of her flagship Carrodus range in Sydney a couple of months ago, I had to go along to it.

Yarra Yering Carrodus Pinot Noir Vintage 2017

My first sniff of this wine took me to Provence and dried garrigue – I felt like I had fallen into a dried herb patch with aromas of dried thyme, oregano, rosemary and saltbush assaulting my nose.  Then the fruit kicked in and was amazingly fresh despite this wine being 8 years old.  Black cherry, dried cherries, dried raspberry, red currant, and dried cranberry aromas wafted up.  This was supported by the notes of olive leaf, fresh forest floor and fresh autumn leaves.  Mushroom, dust and a touch of musk were also there.  What a complex nose!

When I tasted this wine, red fruits danced in the middle of my mouth, with a savoury edge around the mouth and back palate.  The promise of the nose came through in the flavours.  Further intense dried berry and dried red plum notes were supported by dried fig, wet stone and dark granite flavours.  There was also a touch of tar, molasses and liquorice.  What amazed me was the despite the flavour complexity and concentration, this wine was ethereal and lacy with silky smooth tannins and was beautifully balanced.  The finish was long and savoury.

Rating: Outstanding    Price AUD 290

Needless to say, six bottles of this wine followed me home, along with three bottles of her Carrodus Chardonnay Vintage 2021 – AUD 190.