Yayoi Lueur Chenin Blanc 2025
- 92
- $35
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The French would call this Moelleux, though at 10g/L residual sugar it sits on the drier side of off-dry, and the sweetness arrives first like a bluff — you think dessert wine and then the acid catches up and you cannot quite decide how sweet it actually is. That balance is the whole point. Steffi Snook found this fruit through Andrew Flanagan in Swan Hill, where he and his wife now carry forward a vineyard held by her family across three generations. What matters here is the relationship being built between grower and maker. The future of better wine, especially from misunderstood regions, depends on these progressive partnerships: and both sides building precision from the ground up. The acid has the sting of an unripe mango salad – really bright with a sweet and sour polarity. Pink lady apples, hay, flint, a little salt at the end. A Lillet element, elderflower spritz, finger lime. There is a whisper of residual sugar. Sweeter than most, so drink it super cold on a hot day. Pool side, park bench, a lazy summer afternoon or it would be absolutely on point with Thai green curry, apricot chicken tagine, grilled tofu with king oyster mushroom glazed with miso, a Vietnamese seafood salad with a chicken larb wrapped in betel leaf. Not sweet enough for a panna cotta. Sweet enough for southeast Asian cuisine.
Liinaa Berry is a Melbourne-based wine critic and consultant with over a decade of experience as a sommelier and wine buyer across Australia and around the world where she has built award-winning wine programs and championed independent producers with conviction. Now focused on reviewing and writing, Liinaa brings a floor-trained palate and commercial insight to her assessments. She is also the Melbourne Ambassador for Star Wine List and serves on the committee of Sommeliers Australia. An advocate for site-driven wines and thoughtful farming, Liinaa is particularly drawn to producers who articulate a clear sense of place. Her tasting philosophy centres on structure, balance and context — always asking not just how a wine tastes, but why it matters.
