Yering Station Reserve Chardonnay 2020

Not every vintage produces wines worthy of reserve status. The 2020 vintage in the Yarra Valley started hot and dry and then turned cool and wet in January, bringing with it a long, slow ripening of fruit. That last bit is important. Grapes don’t like to be rushed. In 2020 they impressed enough to make it to reserve status. With the 2020 reserve chardonnay, there’s a lot to be enjoyed now but there’s still plenty of juice in the tank for later. The always sunny Mendoza clone brings a range of lovely, ripe fruit characters to the bouquet: nectarine, yellow peach with mandarin skin, a touch of nougat and almond meal.

As you move to taste, the liveliness of fruit is joined by a marked grapefruit-citrussy acidity. That’s the future of the wine right there, the secret to its longevity in bottle. It’s a tad sharp and not quite as integrated as it might be, but it is still early days. The word here is restraint. The finish emphasises the wine’s quiet power and presence, not to mention length.