2025 The Wanderer Yellingbo Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley

This Upper Yarra Pinot from Andrew Marks was formerly labelled simply as The Wanderer Pinot Noir. Beautifully perfumed, the aromas of strawberries and roses are sprinkled with light earthy notes. A medium-bodied wine, the palate is structured and shows ripe tannins that will guide the deep fruit for years to come.

The perfect date night at home bottle, try this with tea-smoked duck breast or crisp skinned pork belly served with pickled cherries and five-spice jus.

About this wine

A single vineyard wine from Yellingbo in the Upper Yarra Valley, planted with cane pruned MV6 clone Pinot on heavy grey clay with a northeasterly aspect at 180 metre elevation.

The destemmed whole berries were cold soaked, with the fermentation in open vats starting with indigenous yeasts, and the must pumped over and hand plunged.

The wine rested on lees for eleven months in large format seasoned French oak and was not fined or filtered ahead of bottling.

About this producer

The Wanderer is the negociant project of Andrew Marks of Gembrook Hill.

The Wanderer is about wandering the world, trying to find one’s place in it and remaining adventurous. Mark has indeed wandered the world of wine. Early stints with big names like Penfold and Seppelt proceeded years in France, where he worked vintages with Puligny winemaker Étienne Sauzet and Saint-Aubin based négociant Roux Père et Fils. His longest lasting overseas connection has been with Celler Espelt in Empordà on Cataluña’s Costa Brava.

Leading the family vineyard since 2017, the 2005 established The Wanderer label allows him to explore Yarra Valley beyond Gembrook Hill and to branch out in choices at the winery that would not suit the fruit style of that vineyard – to play and learn.

Incredibly, Andrew also found time to establish the Melbourne Gin Company in 2012. An adventurous, man indeed.