The best wines overall are the reds, although some whites are also made. It is a very young deep dark purple red wine, with dominant new oak on the nose. The Yarra Valley lies an hour east of Melbourne at the very bottom of Australia. Climate varies with altitude in this topographically diverse region, but mists and fog moderate temperatures. The place is warmer than Burgundy and cooler than Bordeaux, a range favouring Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Fine tannins give it a raw silk texture with fresh acidity, and the finish is long and fruity.
Coonawarra is famous for its intense, deeply flavoured red wines. A four-hour drive southeast from Adelaide in South Australia, Coonawarra is a strip of land about 2 km wide by 14 km long with a slight ridge running most of its length. The influence of the sea some 60 km away makes for a cool climate with long, mild summers. Very deep dark ruby, this young wine flourishes a deep exotic bouquet of black cherries and liquorice root. It has fabulous balance in the mouth, sporting abundant ripe tannins, intense characterful fruit, black pepper notes, and a long elegant finish.