Description

It was 1983 when Ian and June Marks found their vineyard site after a long search for the perfect pocket of land throughout almost every wine region in Victoria. With views of Mt Donna Buang, a backdrop of the Warburton ranges, red soil and a coveted north-easterly aspect, it is the perfect spot for cool climate winemaking. Gembrook Hill led the way as part of the ‘second wave’ of Yarra Valley vignerons, and today is one of the oldest vineyards in the Upper Yarra sub-region.
Gembrook’s wines are regarded as some of the most outstanding examples of their variety in Australia and are crafted with an old-world winemaking mindset. Most vine age now over twenty years. Gembrook Hill was one of the pacesetters in the Yarra Valley with its restrained yet complex style of chardonnay. The sauvignon blanc possesses characteristics found in Sancerre, and is more austere than the typical Australian and New Zealand examples. And the pinot noir has the elegance of old world Burgundy. The most recent addition to the range, the vintage Blanc de Blancs, has been acclaimed as one of the finest of its type, French or otherwise.

Notes from the winemaker …”This is the only wine in our range that is not made entirely from grapes grown on our property at Gembrook. This year our Village Pinot is a blend of pinot from Gembrook Hill and from a vineyard in Yellingbo in the Upper Yarra Valley. In a curious twist for the Upper Yarra Valley, this vineyard is situated on grey clay loam. So while the fruit has hallmark Upper Yarra perfume it has a denser richer palate and tannin structure.

In the winery the fruit is destemmed, fermented on skins for 3-4 weeks and matured predominantly in large format old French oak. It has received a kiss of new oak.

The greatest change you will notice this year is that we have reverted to a cork (Diam) closure this year for the Villages Pinot, in line with our Estate Pinot and Chardonnay. Unfined, unfiltered. Estate bottled.”

2022 is here. Vibrant raspberry and floral aromas, along with hints of dusty minerals and blood orange . Juicy, seamless and focused on the palate. Appealingly sweet red berry and cranberry flavours that expand steadily as the wine opens up. Fine-grained fruit tannins lend shape the finish, which shows strong, red-fruit- and spice-driven characters.

Review of 2021: 91 points Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front “Straight up, it’s good. Fragrant, well-structured and well-sustained. Orange blossoms and red cherries, garden herb and twig-like notes. Velvety/grapey tannin. Light but with plenty going on. It seems perfumed and upfront at first but the longer you sit with it the more structural it seems; its best is arguably yet ahead of it.”

Our Price $34.99 last of vintage