- Expertise spanning over 170 years
- Closely forged relationships with our producers
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Victorian Fine wine
If the late 20th century saw the rise of the ‘sunshine-in-a-bottle’ Aussie crowd pleasers, the early 21st century has been the era of the more restrained, nuanced renderings. And nowhere more so than in Victoria, where the mix of higher elevations and maritime influences makes this cooler-climate region a haven for such fare.
Sub-regions such as the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula have led the way through supremely nuanced, elegant renderings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in particular, with such producers as Mac Forbes in the Yarra Valley, Yabby Lake in Mornington Peninsula, and By Farr in Geelong creating wines that show a real sense of place.
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Victoria wine styles and grape varieties
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Victoria wine FAQs
Why is Victoria seen as such a pivotal wine region right now?
For years, Australian wine was largely about the powerhouses of South Australia – Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale – and West Australia, home to the equally reputed Margaret
River. Both states were known primarily for well-rounded, structured wines, be they Shiraz, Cabernet or white blends. Victoria, by contrast, was more nuanced in its output – and now its time has come. Its cool climate is well suited not just for moderating the higher temperatures seen in many wine regions across the world, but also for yielding the more elegant, subtle wines that are currently in vogue. Couple that with the fact that its main calling cards are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay – the main grape varieties of the ever-more prohibitively priced Burgundy – and it’s only natural that more and more wine lovers are turning to the region as an alternative.
How do the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs of Victoria compare to those of other regions?
The Chardonnays of Victoria are a world away from the rich, buttery, ‘sunshine-in-a-bottle’ stereotype that blighted Australian wine for so many years. These are chiselled, lean, steely renderings, closer to Chablis than California in style. Oak is used only in moderation – if at all – these days, with some producers favouring a tight, ‘reductive’ style over the more rounded, generous tones found in some regions. The Pinots are a touch rounder in their make-up, with supple tannins complementing vibrant, crunchy red fruit, often backed up by a touch of spicy oak, making them marginally fuller than many New Zealand Pinots, with a savoury rather than earthy quality that lends welcome freshness.