Sangiovese is a super food-friendly wine that is gaining in popularity, with many great offerings being produced throughout the Yass Valley region. Fiona and Neil at Yarrh Wines continue to crank out some of the best Sangiovese going around. Nestled within a stringy bark forested slope and facing north towards the Yass River, Yarrh is one of the most scenic wineries to visit in the region. The Yarrh Wines Sangiovese 2017 is this week’s “swirl”.
This Sangiovese is a broodingly deep garnet red in the glass. A swirl invites aromas of black cherries, blackberries and black olive tapenade, with cool climate spice notes of star anise and freshly cracked pepper. The palate is medium-bodied yet bold and loaded with spicy, savoury black fruit flavours and a lovely lick of acidity leading to a long and lingering, food-friendly finish.
We enjoyed our bottle with homemade pumpkin gnocchi with blue cheese and walnuts and would go really well with a spicy pepperoni pizza or low and slow-cooked lamb shanks with tomato and olive ragout. You’ll need to take the drive out to the Yarrh cellar door to grab a bottle of this beauty, but it’s well worth taking the stringy-bark tree-lined, twisting drive. The Yarrh website is here: https://www.yarrhwines.com.au
Brent Lello
Yass Valley Wine Columnist
From the Winemaker
Red Wine at Yarrh
Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may wet my mind and say something clever. “
Aristophanes, Greek comic poet (c. 450-385 BCE)
Back in the day all wine was red wine, and by Aristophanes’ time wine was well cemented as the civilised drink of the aristocracy. How lucky we are to be living in a time and place where red wines of the greatest quality are available to nearly all of us.
We strive for balance and harmony both in the vineyard (the foundation) and the wines (the ultimate expression), so I try to spend as much time in the vineyard as I do in the winery. Yarrh is a peaceful and beautiful place, providing inspiration in this quest for balance and harmony.
Canberra District is the home of cool-climate shiraz, and our shirazes are very typical of Murrumbateman. It’s the backbone of our vineyard and a delight to grow.
Our Cabernet block is a year older, and therefore wiser. Not currently fashionable, Cabernet Sauvignon epitomises the house style of Yarrh – lean, restrained, savoury and true to variety and place.
We had to have some Pinot, and, after we learned to treat it gently in the vineyard and in the winery, the results are remarkable and growing in stature.
Finally, our specialty is the great wine of Tuscany – Sangiovese. Our continental climate is closely aligned to the hills of Tuscany, and the resulting wines are a joy to behold. Now where is that beaker!
Fiona Wholohan, Winemaker
