De Bortoli Yarra Valley Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon 1998

Several years ago chief winemaker Steve Webber made the call that the De Bortoli would focus on a more savoury, less fruit-driven style that would enable its makers to introduce a measured element of artefact and complexity to its table wines. Today De BortoliŐs Yarra Valley collection offers something of an Old World approach towards distinctly Yarra Valley wine. The whites are generally very complex and alluring, while the reds are often quite fragile in their youth, sometimes tending towards a more herbaceous style. De Bortoli has altered its hierarchy of Yarra labels, with a new tiered system of Villages (sourced from the Yarra region), Estate Grown (self-evident!) and Single Vineyard (individual particular sites within the expansive De Bortoli estate). The latter are gradually replacing the previous Reserve wines. I particularly like the elegant, and deeply perfumed Estate Pinot Noir from 2014. As ever, Sarah Fagan's work with chardonnay is spectacular.