2022 Yarra Yering Dry Red No 1

Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia

Grape: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 6% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot

Vineyard Practice: Sustainable

Culinary Suggestions: Grilled lamb, Steak, Aged cheddar and Mushroom Risotto

Alcohol: 13.5%

Bottle Size: 750 ml

2022 Yarra Yering Dry Red No 1 is a Yarra Valley Bordeaux-style blend (mainly Cabernet Sauvignon) offering dark berry fruit, bay-leaf spice and subtle cedar oak; medium-bodied, fine-tannined and built to evolve gracefully over decades. 

Origins

Planted in 1969 by the visionary botanist Dr. Bailey Carrodus, Yarra Yering occupies 28 hectares at the foot of the Warramate Hills in Gruyere. The vineyard rises on warm northerly slopes of ancient, well-drained sandy loam and gravel, dry-farmed for naturally modest yields of 1–2 tonnes per acre.

Today, the estate is shepherded by winemaker Sarah Crowe (Halliday Winemaker of the Year 2017), whose meticulous small-batch approach honours Carrodus’s legacy. Hand-harvested fruit is sorted into traditional half-tonne “tea-chest” fermenters; Cabernet Sauvignon is crushed for structure, while Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot ferment as whole berries for fragrance. A portion of Cabernet spends up to eight weeks on skins in a 3,500-litre upright cask before the blend rests 15 months in French barriques (35 % new).

The 2022 season delivered outstanding quality despite spring rains that reduced yields by 30-40 %. Cool, dry ripening preserved acidity and heightened aromatics—conditions regarded as excellent for Cabernet in the Yarra Valley.

Tasting Notes

The 2022 Dry Red No 1 opens with a lifted bouquet of cassis, black plum and violets, framed by bay leaf and a whisper of cedar. Seamless on the palate, it layers ripe blackberry and mulberry with hints of dark chocolate, graphite and clove. Cool-climate acidity gives freshness, while superfine tannins lend gentle grip, guiding the wine to a long, savoury finish where flickers of cocoa and dried herb linger. A poised, medium-bodied claret style that already delights yet promises graceful evolution.

Critic Reviews

95 Points

Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

This year’s edition of Yarra Yering Dry red No. 1 is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 6% Malbec and 3% Petit Verdot. It spent eight weeks on skins and was matured in 35% new oak.

The herb notes are so clear here that there’s a trail of bitterness to the aftertaste, though given that a) it’s cabernet and b) pure fruit flavour flushes all the way through, it’s neither a problem nor a negative. You’d almost say though that the firm, stringy nature of the finish sets the style of the wine as a whole; it places a clear emphasis on complexity and structure, even as it delivers the goods fruit-wise. This is an excellent release, though it will only reveal its true pleasure to the patient. It’s fresh, firm, and only just now starting to properly form.

~ Drink 2030 - 2042+