At last week’s Yarra Yering Dinner in Berrys’ Cellars, Mark Haisma, Winemaker at YY since 1997, steered 35 fortunate guests through six wines and one fortified; the final pair coming from the 1980 vintage.

Mark kicked off with a 2006 Viognier and 2006 Chardonnay: both apricot stone and citrus rich respectively; fresh, taut and minerally despite the drought. We then skipped a decade or so to the rare 1992 Merlot: a beautifully compact, yet full wine, lush with herb and earth characters held fresh with some stone fruit structure. A 1991 Underhill Shiraz followed, a single vineyard wine of Hermitage proportions: grilled meat, savoury and herbal notes crammed onto the palate, ushered in by the silkiest of textures; again, still young with 5 - 10 yrs ahead of it.

The final pair, from the 1980 vintage, showed why Yarra Yering is feted among those in the know: the No. 2 (a blend of Shiraz, Viognier and a dash of Marsanne) showed a Côte-Rôtie-esque perfume and femininity; the antithesis of the Underhill. While alongside was the No. 1 which even at 28 yrs old was totally composed and linear, no hint of drying out or fraying.

And as if that wasn’t enough, Mark unveiled a stunning Potsorts, a deadringer for the Douro and the finest Portuguese fortified I’ve tasted outside of Pinhao: still young with rocky blackberry fruit and taut minerality.

So what’s the secret? Terroir, in a word. When Dr Bailey Carrodus, now in his ninth decade, created the estate in 1969, he chose an elevated site, cooled by the onshore breezes and blessed with significant diurnal shift. Heavy canopies are encouraged to shade the fruit, while being dry-farmed from the start has imbued the vines with the wherewithal to look after themselves come what may. Yields are low and up to 30% stalks are used in the fermentation, giving added polyphenol structure.

Just when the rest of corporate Australia buckles under the water shortages, Yarra Yering’s 2006’s have never looked so smart!

5th generation Giuseppe Mascarello was in town to promote their Monforte d’Alba single vineyard wine Santo Stefano di Perno to BBR staff. As way of comparison the wine was tasted alongside their Castiglione Falletto vineyard wine Monprivato.

From elevated, deep, ancient iron rich clay & sandstone soils, the Santo Stefano is a more classic Barolo with brooding sage, tar & roses aromatics & dense, succulent, balsamic & strawberry flavours. The warmer, lighter, younger white calcareous soils of Monprivato dispayed more floral raspberry notes; Gevrey-Chambertin plays Chambolle-Musigny if you like.

Both wines were made in the same traditional way, albeit cement for Santo Stefano vs stainless-steel for Monprivato, with relatively long cuvaisons & 40 months in large slavonian barrels/’botte’.

The 2003s (bottled late 07) showed impressive freshness from earlier picking as well as the juiciest of strawberry ripple palates, held minerally tight by fine structures.

The 2000s, a hot vintage at the time (day & night) seemed positively cool by comparison; the Santo Stefano denser than the high-tone Monprivato. Both 10-15 yrs off their best

As way of finale Giuseppe brought along a 1996 Santo Stefano di Perno: unbelievably concentrated & youthful, with strident acidity & assertive tannins…still 10 yrs off its best.

Since graduating from Alba’s Enological College in 94, Giuseppe has worked with his father Mauro to implement more green harvesting (to one bunch per shoot or approx 33 hl/ha) & more emphasis on physiological over simply polyphenol ripening to give finer, ethereal wines; a trend witnessed across the Alps in Burgundy.

In the big picture, Giuseppe Mascarello’s wines continue to reflect their top terroirs while encapsulating the purest, raciest expression of the Nebbiolo grape.

For all those intrigued by the chocolate & wine debate, a recent tasting trip of mine to Tuscany threw some more light on the subject.  

We were approaching the end of a wonderful lunch, held by Dr. Thomas Bär (pictured with his wife Monika Bettschart) of Chianti Classico producer Gagliole, when he produced a bowl brimming with the finest Lindt chocolates.

Bitter black with the silkiest of textures, the chocolates perfectly complimented their 2005 Chianti Classico, a fine match for the bright raspberry-esque fruit flavours & fine tannins.

Now who would have thought..?