2022 Yarra Yering Carrodus Cabernet Sauvignon, Yarra Valley

Cabernet Sauvignon from Yarra Yering’s original 1969 plantings. Matured in 225L French barriques (30% new). Deeply and brightly coloured. Classy and discreet cabernet with its bouquet of subtle but concentrated black cherries and blueberries together with discreet cedar and cigar box. Graphite and violets, too. Tightly wound with firm yet sophisticated tannins. More backward than the Dry Red Wine No. 1 from the same year. I can't really split them, and I'd love to revisit these two wines in five, 10 and 15 years from now.

98 points Halliday Wine Companion (Philip Rich, May 2024)

Blackberry and oaky aromas, smoky timber scents overlying cassis and briar; the palate tense and lively with fresh acidity and a slight metallic/mineral note. Intensity and tight-packed concentration. This is somewhat in its shell and needs time to show its colours. It really came alive in the glass, showing its great depth. Cellar, or give it plenty of air. Drink 2027–2042.

97 points The Real Review (Huon Hooke, May 2024)

The fruit for this 2022 Carrodus Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from the 1969-planted Cabernet Sauvignon. The section of the vineyard from which this comes is in the southwest corner. The vines follow a gravel band that crosses through the corner of the block that is slower to mature and is always the last to be picked. The fruit was fermented in small open fermenters, plunged twice daily by hand, pressed to taste and then gravity filled to Bordeaux-shaped French barrels (40% new) for 15 months maturation. So, to the wine. The bouquet is infused with graphite, graphite-like oak, dried tobacco, a hint of black olive tapenade, star anise, salted licorice, bay leaf and cassis. In the mouth, the fruit sparkles with concentration and intensity—it is pure and firm. What a sensational wine. The oak is more pronounced here than it is in the Dry Red No 1 from the same vintage, yet it works so well with the fruit profile that it hardly matters; there is enough density here to subsume the oak at any given time. Very, very good Cabernet. Superlative. 

97 Points The Wine Advocate (Erin Larkin, November 2024)

97 Points  WBM Magazine (Tyson Stelzer)

97 Points James Suckling (Ryan Montgomery)

Carrodus is the pinnacle of Yarra Yering, named in honour of Dr Bailey Carrodus, the visionary who planted the estate in 1969 and helped shape the modern Yarra Valley. Today, under the stewardship of winemaker Sarah Crowe, the wine continues that legacy, sourced from the estate’s oldest, lowest yielding Cabernet Sauvignon vines and crafted only in the best vintages. It is a wine built on pedigree, precision and a deep understanding of site.

The 2022 release shows both power and refinement. Aromatics are layered and complex, blackcurrant and dark cherry at the core, with violet, bay leaf and a classic Cabernet lift of cassis. There is a savoury thread running through it, cedar, tobacco leaf and graphite, alongside a gentle spice note from carefully integrated oak.

On the palate it is structured and finely detailed, medium to full bodied with firm, polished tannins that give the wine its backbone. The fruit is concentrated yet precise, carried by a line of fresh acidity that keeps everything in balance. Flavours move from dark berries into more savoury territory, finishing long with notes of cedar, spice and a distinct mineral edge.

Winemaking is meticulous, with careful parcel selection, measured extraction and high quality oak used to build structure and complexity without overwhelming the fruit. The result is a Cabernet that sits comfortably among Australia’s finest, offering both immediate presence and long term potential.

This is made for classic pairings. Roast lamb, beef with herbs, or slow cooked dishes all work beautifully, and it also pairs well with aged cheeses where the tannins can cut through richness.

It will reward patience. While impressive now with air, ten to twenty years in the cellar will see it evolve into something even more complex, with notes of cigar box, leather and earthy savoury tones emerging.