Mandala is the realization of a longstanding family dream: an impressive property featuring both vineyard and cellar door that showcases the cool climate wines of the Yarra Valley. All fruit for these wines comes from Swallowfield Vineyard in Gembrook.
Established in 2000, Cellar Door Winery marked the end of an exhaustive search for winegrowing terroir that rivalled that of Bordeaux. Visit for a guided tour and tutored wine tasting experience!
Aging in Barrel
Yarra Valley is one of Australia’s acclaimed wine regions, known for producing world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. But that is just scratching the surface: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and other international varieties thrive here too! Furthermore, Champagne House Moet & Chandon established their Australian expansion here, while Madden’s Rise and Hoddle’s Creek produce exceptional examples from this area.
The region’s unique climate is one of the main contributors to its exceptional wines. The slopes and flow direction of Yarra River allow cool air to drain away quickly, helping grapes ripen while still maintaining acidity levels. Furthermore, climate stability makes this wine region one of the most reliable wine regions in Australia.
Vineyards are typically planted on gentle hills and their slopes help direct rainfall evenly into the soil, helping vines absorb vital nutrients for producing fruit that is both ripe and concentrated.
As well, its cool climate enables winemakers to craft complex and elegant wines by allowing the fruit to mature naturally before harvest. This approach helps capture its character. Furthermore, the Yarra Valley vineyards boast an extraordinary diversity with numerous clones and terroirs from which to choose.
The type of oak used to age wine is another critical consideration, as its influence can alter both its aroma and flavour profiles. French oak tends to produce subtler wines while American oak offers greater expressiveness. Toast level also plays a vital role: light toasts add subtle sweetness while heavy ones provide complexity.
Winemakers use various aging techniques, including both new and aged barrels, to achieve the desired style of wine. Once that goal has been established, winemakers then determine how long the wine should sit in barrel (known as elevage ), which could range anywhere from several months up to many years and has an impactful result on its final flavor.
Ageing in Wood
Yarra Valley is a haven for wine enthusiasts, offering velvety reds and bubbly bubbles with tantalising velvetiness. The region’s wines boast vibrant, fruity notes that pair beautifully with food. Thanks to its climate, vineyards there specialize in pinot noir and chardonnay production; cool soil encourages small grapes with intensely flavourful grapes for optimal production.
Oak barrels allow for the gradual incorporation of oxygen, softening harsh tannins while imparting unique tertiary aromas into wines. Depending on toasting level and length of time spent in a barrel, the impact may either be subtle or significant on wine quality.
With age comes a change to wood fibers which allows more extraction of flavor compounds like clove, vanilla bean extract, toffee and smoke aromas from oak wood (hickory, acacia or cherry can also be used) creating what are known as “tertiary aromas,” which have a major impact on wine flavour and aroma.
Wood can not only influence the secondary aromatics of wine, but it will also alter its structure as it interacts with it during oxidation. Oxidation occurs when molecules break down when exposed to oxygen, producing alcohols and acids as by-products – the fundamental building blocks for flavorful compounds – that add to its structure as well as adding secondary aromatic notes.
Before being filled with wine, barrels are toasted over an open flame to reduce harsh tannins and impart unique flavors. The level of toasting influences its effect on wine; light toast will impart subtler notes while heavy toast may produce robust characteristics like caramel or vanilla notes.
Once a barrel is full of wine, it’s racked and left for some time to settle and aerate. Temperature variations during this process promote evaporation (known as “angel’s share”) while increasing flavour concentration – creating a complex balance between spirit and wood which takes months or years to fully develop and results in bottles with aromas and notes that both reflect its origin as well as ageing in wood.
Ageing in Bottle
The Yarra Valley is an idyllic wine region in Victoria’s south that produces classic cool climate grape varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, and Shiraz. Protected by the Dandenong Ranges to the east forming a rainshadow keeping temperatures mild and moderate; rolling hills make this region perfect for vineyard cultivation; soil types yield grapes with high acidity levels while providing good structure – hallmarks of quality winemaking!
Barrel aging can help soften the harsh tannins and congeners in wines, softening their mouthfeel while simultaneously helping the flavors and scents combine over time. However, its exact effect may differ depending on which wood species was used to craft your barrel and its previous contents.
Oakridge Wines stands out among Yarra Valley cellar doors by using barrel aging extensively to craft exceptional wines. Their Specialty range features Pinot Meunier–usually reserved for Champagne production–and aging it in barrels allows them to better showcase its regional characteristics.
As wines undergo oxidative barrel aging, many aldehydes extracted from wood become either absorbed by or degraded in their wine. Furfural (benzenemethanethiol), is one of the more desirable aromatic compounds and contributes an earthy aroma when present; however, its levels tend to diminish during bottle aging.
Yarra Valley, situated just an hour and a half drive away from Melbourne, makes an ideal day trip destination for wine enthusiasts. With rolling hills covered in vines, its vineyard-laden landscape provides a relaxing respite from city life; visiting one of Yarra Valley’s wineries won’t just introduce you to new wines; instead it will introduce you to their culture and lifestyle that will leave you wanting more – from elegant Chardonnay wines to bubbly Pinots there is sure to be something in Yarra Valley’s wine cellars waiting.
Ageing in Glass
Yarra Valley winemakers have long been at the forefront of producing cool climate wines. Their vineyards are located in a valley that is protected from frost by surrounding mountains that help shield vines and extend growing seasons, which allows grapes to ripen with intense flavors while simultaneously keeping acidity balanced. Offering various vineyard sites and styles, these wines showcase the distinctive terroir that defines this region.
European settlers introduced vines to Victoria’s Yarra Valley in the mid 19th century. By 1860s Yarra Valley had already produced excellent table wines, becoming one of Victoria’s major wine regions. Over time though, as tastes shifted toward fortified wines and devastating plant pest phylloxera devastated many areas, its status slowly faded until slowly starting to recover in late 1990s.
Visit Yarra Valley and meet some of Australia’s finest wine makers! Visit cellar doors, sample wines and learn about its history – you might just change how you view wine altogether! It makes an excellent day trip for drink enthusiasts – from velvety reds to bubbly champagnes, you are bound to find something suitable.
Yarra Valley wines are an expression of its people and the innovation and creativity which continues to shape the region. Many vineyards and wineries boast breathtaking cellar doors which have become tourist draws, not only as places where customers can sample wines but also as means for supporting local businesses by drawing tourists through them.
Healesville Winery with its stunning views is an iconic producer, while Levantine Hill Vineyard stands as an example of how excellence drives Yarra Valley wines. Although experts advised against their vineyard choice due to too steep of an angle and too many rocky outcrops for proper cultivation of vines. Their passion for excellence makes Yarra Valley wine country world-class wine destination.