2023 Yarra Yering Dry Red No 2, Yarra Valley

Deep ruby, bright in the glass with hints of purple at the edges. Raspberry, blueberry, cumin, rose petal and cinnamon aromas all sing out on the nose and palate. Every sip and sniff shines a light on a new corner of the spice rack that is on offer here. White pepper ebbs and flows, a hint of salumi lifts then fades all the while there’s power and density but it never sits heavily. Acidity brings life and fine boned tannins ensure structure and focus. The finish is eventually reached, demanding you return to the start again to discover something new. Drink 2025-2045.

98 points Stuart Knox for The Real Review, June 2025

A blend of 99.5/.05% shiraz/viognier. Fermented with whole berries and matured in barriques (30% new). The cool vintage shows through in what's a lovely and elegant rendition of this Yarra Valley classic. Aromas of red and black fruits, spices and ironstone together with a gentle meatiness. Medium bodied and supple. An approachable and quite delicious Dry Red No. 2 that will provide copious amounts of enjoyment now and over the next 10–15 years. Drink 2025-2040.

97 points Philip Rich for Halliday Wine Companion, April 2025

Quite beautiful wine from this difficult vintage. I guess it shows what old vines can do when the going gets tough. It’s a co-fermented blend of Shiraz, Marsanne and Viognier, displaying texture. perfume and structural tannin. The additional spice comes from a tiny amount of Mataro. Medium weight and so beautifully balanced and poised as you would expect. Most appealing wine. Drink 2025-2037.

96 points Ray Jordan for Wine Pilot, April 2025

Savory and earth-driven aromas of blood plums, graphite, cured meat, charcoal, dried herbs and licorice. The palate is full-bodied with firmly framed tannins and pure acidity, giving flavors of wild raspberries, dark chocolate and dried flowers. A firmly structured yet fresh and plush syrah blend. Excellent. Drink or hold. 

96 points James Suckling, March 2025

The 2023 Dry Red No 2 is a Shiraz (99.5%) with a pinch of Viognier (0.5%) and leads with rose petals and tapenade on the nose. The palate is a floral yet meaty affair and brings everything from pastrami to petunias to mind. The remit here is silky, supple, medium-bodied drinking, and it nails it perfectly. The tannins are a gentle support through the long finish. This is an excellent wine. Drink 2025-2038.

94 points Erin Larkin for The Wine Advocate, June 2025

The Dry Red No. 2 has been part of the Yarra Yering range since the first vintage in 1973. It is the Rhône-inspired wine in the portfolio — predominantly Shiraz with small additions of Mataro, Marsanne and Viognier. The Viognier is added as frozen skins during fermentation, a technique borrowed from Côte-Rôtie that lifts perfume without adding alcohol. Where the Underhill expresses a single block of Shiraz, the No. 2 draws on the full depth of the estate — original 1969 plantings alongside additional blocks from the 1990s — giving it breadth and layered complexity that is distinctly its own.

The 2023 season was cool and wet, with lower yields across the estate. Sarah Crowe's team waited patiently for full flavour and tannin ripeness before picking, and the wine carries a firmer tannin profile than recent vintages that will reward cellaring. Hand-picked, whole berry fermented in half-tonne open fermenters, 15 months in French oak barriques with 30% new.

Violets, plum, cranberry and bramble on the nose, with five spice, white pepper, cured meat and graphite underneath. The palate is medium bodied with seamless texture, savoury length and fine tannins that will soften and broaden over time.

Drink now through 2038. Try with Japanese style wagyu sukiyaki.