2024 Medhurst Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Yarra Valley

Matured in 35% new French barriques. Medhurst won awards this week at both the Sydney and Yarra Valley Wine Shows (with chardonnay and rosé, respectively) and was named Best Value Winery in the 2027 Halliday Wine Companion Awards; this supremely fragrant and elegant cabernet is another feather in the Medhurst cap. Aromas of pure blackcurrant, violet and a lick of cedar precede a medium-bodied, gently structured and persistent palate. Drink now or cellar for up to eight years. Drink to 2032.

96+ points & Special Value Philip Rich for Halliday Wine Companion, September 2026

This wine comes from the fast and furious 2024 season that saw Yarra vineyards working day and night as varieties ripened simultaneously after a wet mid-season was followed by very warm conditions later in the summer.

The hand harvested grapes were chilled overnight and sorted prior to being de-stemmed into an open vat for a 22-day fermentation. The pressed wine was racked and matured for 14 months in French oak barriques of which 35% were new.

About this producer

Medhurst Wines was established in 2000 with the first plantings at the Gruyere property owned by Ross and Robyn Wilson. Located on the western side of the Warramate Ranges, the north facing site sits at an elevation of 130 to 220 metres. The initial Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz vines have since been joined by Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Malbec. The wines are made on-site by winemakers Rohan Smith and Kathy McBride.