Yangarra Estate Noir 2018
At the end of 2018 I made a wishlist of 3 things I’d like to see more of in 2019. And number 1 on the list was a request for more well-priced light reds.
Now, 4 months into the year, I’ve found EXACTLY what I was after.
This Yangarra Estate Noir 2018 is more than just a good value drink, however, it’s a watershed wine. Something that can change perspectives about what Australian red wine should/could taste like. And all for just $25 a bottle.
Amazing.
It’s a blend of 40% Grenache, 21% Mourvèdre, 14% Shiraz, 12% Cinsaut, 11% Carignan, 2% Counoise from estate-grown, certified organic fruit. So Chateauneuf, but in McLaren Vale. Fruit is hand picked and mechanically sorted, with 50% whole berries in the mix, the juice wild fermented before spending 10 months in old oak.
That’s a lot of care for a $25 red wine, and it shows in the finished product – the Noir is a perfectly pitched red. Only medium bodied, there’s an absolute riot of raspberry fruit. Juicy, vibrant, utterly addictive red and blackberry fruit, in a soft, but not unsubstantial mode. It’s plump. Generous. Softly spoken. Unadulterated. It’s a joven style, but with more structure and much more intensity than your average light red. And so so pure.
How can you not like this? Sure. it’s not going to cellar for decades. Nor is it a profound wine (the top Yangarra Grenache and Shiraz are more in that boat). But such profound drinking pleasure. And isn’t that wine is about?
Best drinking: Now to probably eight years plus. 18.5/20, 94/100. 14%, $25. Would I buy it? In a heartbeat.
5 Comments
Will keep an eye out for this. I cannot overstate just how important I have found Cinsault to be in these blends – domestic
and foreign, ‘regular’(!) and rosé styles – yet so few Australian winemakers are on to it. For me, it’s the point of difference that elevates these blends above those in which it is absent.
Cinsault has a mixed reaction locally, hence why no one is planting it. Then again, Grenache had little value up until recently too…
Agree re: Cinsault. Bondar and Spinifex using it well in blends also.
That sounds delicious!
Have you tried Alex McKay’s Collector “Landfall” Pinot Meunier? You can get it for about $30 (it’s sold out at the moment) and it’s a crunchy, refreshing red which can take a bit of a chill.
This is where Australian wine is really lacking.
Cheers and thanks again for your wonderful notes.
No I haven’t Travis. To be honest I’ve only seen Alex’s Shiraz in recent years. Missing out.
Love Pinot Meunier though (like the delicious Oakridge).