Yalumba likes to celebrate, and they have much to celebrate and this week it was the turn of Lucy Hill-Smith and Louisa Rose to host a select group of press and sommeliers at the private members club, La Loma at Oswalds in Mayfair.
The day was not only to celebrate Yalumba’s 175th anniversary but also to showcase Yalumba The Signature series and to highlight the “Museum Collection”, which allows more people to experience the pleasure of drinking these wines that have been perfectly cellared at Yalumba before release.
Lucy Hill-Smith, sixth generation is now the fine wine ambassador for Yalumba, after a successful career in architecture and design.
Louisa Rose transitioned from her role as head of winemaking in 2023 to become Yalumba’s head of sustainability, marking a significant milestone in her illustrious career. With a deep-seated passion for sustainable viticulture and a commitment to innovative winemaking practices, Rose is now poised to lead Yalumba’s sustainability initiatives, ensuring environmentally responsible practices are at the forefront of the winery’s operations. Her new role also involves representing Yalumba on a global stage, leveraging her extensive experience and acclaim to further elevate the brand’s reputation. This transition coincides with Yalumba’s 175th year, highlighting the winery’s enduring legacy and forward-thinking vision for the future.
Yalumba is certainly a ‘family’ and one of its traditions is to dedicate a ‘signator’ to each vintage of the Signature Wines, this is chosen by Robert Hill-Smith to honour an individual who has made a significant contribution to the culture and traditions of Yalumba.
The Signature is the classic ‘Australian claret’, made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, originally known as Yalumba Galway Vintage Claret.
The latest release the Yalumba Signature 2021 is dedicated to Chris Gerhardy, packaging and development manager 50 years after he joined the company on the bottling line.
The first Signature release was in 1962 (Yalumba Galway Vintage Claret with Samuel Smith as the signatory) and the 2021 marks its 50th vintage, there are 10 years when The Signature was not made and in total there are 63 Signatories. The reason for this is that in some years like the 2019 vintage there were more than one signatories; Kevin Glastonbury and Robin Nettelbeck (affectingly known by the team as ‘Vini & Viti’). There was also a trial vintage in 1961 which had no signatory, and in 1974 there were two separate bottlings under different names.
The wines to showcase Yalumba with age
Yalumba The Menzies 2014
Coonawara Cabernet Sauvignon
Cocoa, spices, violets and dark fruit; bilberries and cedar notes, delicate floral aromatics, clean and focused. Hints of chocolate and saline.
Yalumba The Menzies 2019
Coonawara Cabernet Sauvignon
Full of dark berries, mulberries, violets and blackcurrants, silky and luscious, this is outstanding, with an exotic perfumed aromatic nose, vibrant, silky finish.
Yalumba The Octavius 2009
Old Vine Shiraz
Cherries and raspberries on the front enticing you into this silky, cocoa, chocolate and plummy wine. As the wine evolves on the palate darker notes come to the fore with notes of Dundee cake and dark plums with violet aromatics.
Yalumba The Octavius 2019
Old Vine Shiraz
Spiced black cherries, caramel, vanilla spice, on the mid palate blackberry and blackcurrant, sage, vanilla, luscious with a berry crumble feel.
Yalumba FDR 1A Claret 1974
Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz
This was a star, pure class, and no hint of over ageing, this is a glorious wine. Love the purity focus and vision – it is so focused and seamless on the palate a sheer joy to taste and drink. These were samples sent (as yet unbottled wine) with the “internal” sample number of the barrel FDR 1A (fine red wine) placed on the bottle which won the Stoddart Wine Trophy in the Brisbane Wine show, & then bottled as FDR to celebrate this. It was also then bottled as a Signature wine (see below).
Yalumba Christobel’s Blend 1974 Signature Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz
Honouring Christobel Hill-Smith for 50 years of service. This bottle was tasted by Roger with Robert Hill-Smith back in 2017. Cocoa and chocolate on the nose, lively and elegant, soft sweet red fruit, some sweet herbaceous flavours, seductive, lingering, fabulous.
Yalumba The Signature 2004
Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz
Cocoa and spice, vibrant, uplifting, cassis, damsons, chocolate, full of flavour but light and elegant, still some fine tannins which will allow this to age gracefully.
Yalumba The Signature 2012
Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz
Gentle, delicate and refined, this is clean and focused, the purity is incredible so bright and deep with splashings of deep umami flavours. The balance between depth of fruit, oak ageing and complexity is exceptional; this will age for decades or double decant and serve in a big Cab glass.
Yalumba The Signature 2014
Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz
This has liquorice, coffee, black olives on the front then an abundance of dark plummy notes, spice, cedar, earthy notes. Love the bitter fresh zippy note on the end. Another ageworthy wine.
Yalumba The Signature 2018
Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz
Lovely, perfumed aromatics, violets, hedgerow, mint then this has a luscious red raspberry feel, with cedar and juicy ripe greengage plums, love this wine even at this age but hold your horses and drink in a decade or so.
The Caley
Jones has written numerous articles on The Caley since its first release and is a keen collector of this wine. (Inc. 30/05/2017 & 08/10/20)
Yalumba The Caley 2014
Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz
With 82% Coonawarra Cabernet and 18% Barossa Shiraz (percentages vary with each release) this is a class act, tiny clusters of berries dance on the palate with a mere hint of delicate cedar. As it evolves, aromas of violets, leafy red currants and spices come to the fore then, as it settles on the palate, a stunningly generous feel, with dark fruit notes of jet black cherries glow, it will continue to age but happily drink this once decanted and enjoy its journey as the decanter gets lower.
Yalumba The Caley 2019
Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz
75% Coonawarra Cabernet & 25% Barossa Shiraz. Perfumed aromatics shine from the glass, mulberries, violets, cedar then on the palate there is a purity that is quite breathtaking; tastes luxurious and delivers. Will follow this latest release with great interest.
Lunch
Prior to lunch we were served Jansz Tasmania Late Disgorged Vintage Cuvee 2013, this is a perfectly aged sparkling wine that delivers; fresh and vibrant full of tiny bubbles and refined stone fruit and crisp orchard fruits.
With the starter of Wagyu tataki, pickled mushrooms, sesame sauce, two wines were served.
Yalumba, The Virgilius Viognier 2022 delivers a wine full of fresh apricots, ginger spice, cardamom, white flowers all combining to give a beautiful mouth feel and great match to the perfectly cooked beef. However, an even better match was the Yalumba Tri-Centenary Grenache 2022 sourced from vines over 130 years old. Fragrant and juicy with vibrant acidity, wild cherries, pomegranate, raspberry, chalky and just luscious.
Then with the perfectly aged and roasted duck dish a trio of wines including the Caley 2019 (again), the two new wines were Yalumba The Signature 2016 (Louisa Rose is the signatory) this has great depth and texture, seductively perfumed, hints of exotic chocolate and cedar or tobacco leaves, cranberry crush, classy and great purity. And Yalumba The Signature 2021, “silky and seamless” my notes say, I think here the rules of the Private Club; ‘no spitting wine’, was taking its toll on my wine writing. But I would add from memory that this was a full rich style wine that was perfectly balanced, with plenty of elegance and will age for decades but was rather good in its youth.
Another wonderful Yalumba experience, Lucy Hill-Smith continues to bring a ray of sunshine to this exceptional family. It is odd that we call these wines New World where some of its ancient vineyards date back to 1854, 1889 &1900. Robert Hill-Smith continues to lead by example and those mortal words that ‘we are mere custodians for the next generation’ is no truer than we see from his wisdom, planning and foresight.
Some people just don't know when to stop!
The wines of Yalumba are imported and sold in the UK by Fells which is a commercial partner of The Buyer. To discover more about them click here.
