2025 Bloody Hill Rose, Healesville Yarra Valley

Bloody Hill Rosé from Healesville in the Yarra Valley is a wonderfully expressive and quietly complex rosé from Riva Mayer, who has taken the family’s artisan, minimal intervention philosophy and given it his own unmistakably fresh, energetic signature. The fruit comes from hillside sites around Healesville where cool evenings and volcanic clay and mudstone soils shape grapes with perfume, delicacy and natural acidity. Everything is done thoughtfully: hand picking at first light, whole bunch pressing for purity, wild fermentation for nuance and personality, and ageing on fine lees to build subtle texture without sacrificing lift.

The aromatics are vivid and layered, offering wild strawberry, redcurrant and watermelon alongside pink grapefruit, rose petal, white peach and a whisper of crushed herbs. As it takes on air, notes of raspberry leaf, tangerine skin, faint spice and cool wet stone add depth and intrigue, capturing both the sunny generosity and refreshing precision of the Upper Yarra.

The palate is bright, supple and finely textured, with juicy red berries flowing across a silken mineral line. Flavours of strawberry, peach skin, citrus zest and pomegranate ripple through a dry, elegant mid palate. Fine acidity brings drive and clarity, while lees ageing adds a soft savoury gloss that never intrudes on freshness. The finish is long, vibrant and gently saline, lingering with berries, florals and cool stone detail. It is irresistible now but will deepen over the next two years.

Perfect for seafood feasts, picnics, long lunches, grilled prawns, charcuterie, summer vegetables, burrata, roast chicken, sushi or simply sipping on warm evenings with friends. Serve lightly chilled for maximum joy.