2023 Yarra Yering Underhill Shiraz
Underhill is the more extroverted sibling in the Yarra Yering Shiraz family - generous, expressive and disarmingly drinkable from day one.
Sourced from a single block planted by Dr. Bailey Carrodus in 1973, this eight-acre patch at the western edge of the estate delivers Shiraz with muscle and charm in equal measure. Where Dry Red No. 2 broods, Underhill beams - showing plush dark fruits, cracked pepper, lavender and a whiff of smoked meats, all wrapped up in a supple, silken frame.
Winemaker Sarah Crowe gives this wine a mix of whole bunch and whole berry ferments, time in both large format oak and seasoned puncheons, and a deft handling of tannin that keeps everything in check without dampening the wine’s natural swagger.
Delicious now, especially with a decant, but will cruise gracefully through the next 10–15 years if you can hold off. A benchmark cool-climate Shiraz, straight from one of Australia’s greatest sites.
97 points
"It’s all bound by a supple acidity and finely wrought tannins, gentle in their guidance but resolute in their persistence, carrying it for an age to an eventual bright and fresh finish."
- Stuart Knox (The Real Review)
97 points
"While this may not quite have the staying power of the previous two vintages, it will still age gracefully for a decade, if not two!"
- Philip Rich (Halliday Wine Companion)
97 points
"A wine that is always on the list of wines to watch in any vintage... Love this wine."
- Ray (Wine Pilot)