The Yarra Yering Carrodus Pinot Noir 2021 represents the pinnacle of one of Australia’s most storied vineyards — a limited bottling from the original Pinot Noir vines planted in 1969 by Dr. Bailey Carrodus. Produced only in exceptional vintages, the Carrodus range embodies the estate’s most expressive and age-worthy wines.
The 2021 season was mild and even across the Yarra Valley, delivering fruit of superb purity and tension. Hand-harvested and destemmed without crushing, the grapes were fermented as whole berries in Yarra Yering’s traditional 600 kg small fermenters. A portion of stalks was returned to the vat — a nod to Dr. Carrodus’s original technique — enhancing the wine’s aromatic lift and structural finesse. Fermentation was hand-plunged twice daily for gentle extraction before pressing to French oak barriques (35% new) for 10 months’ maturation.
Tasting Note
Bright crimson in colour, this wine opens with evocative aromas of rose petals, red cherry, and subtle vanilla sweetness from oak. The palate is silky and seamless, offering layers of cherry, raspberry, and graphite, framed by fine tannins and elegant oak spice. Expansive and refined, it glides to a long, lingering finish of effortless grace.
Small-Batch Detail
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Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria
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Vineyard: Original Pinot Noir vines planted in 1969
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Fermentation: Hand-harvested, whole berries, partial stalk inclusion, hand-plunged
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Maturation: 10 months in French oak (35% new)
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Alcohol: 13.5%
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Cellaring: Drink now to 2033; will evolve gracefully over a decade
Expert Reviews
⭐ 97 Points – Huon Hooke, The Real Review
“Beautifully perfumed and textural Pinot Noir, red-fruited and supremely elegant, with superb balance and a fine, silky structure. A wine of purity and class.”
⭐ 97 Points – Halliday Wine Companion (2024 Edition)
“A Carrodus of rare refinement. Supple, detailed, fragrant, and long. Captures the subtle power of the Yarra with pinpoint precision.”
⭐ 93 Points – Ned Goodwin, JamesSuckling.com
“Red cherries, cranberries, and spice. Mid-weighted and tensile, fine-grained tannins shape a savoury finish. Understated yet persistent.”
Fine Pinot Note
A rare and collectible expression of Yarra Yering’s original 1969 vines — polished, perfumed, and beautifully structured. The Carrodus Pinot Noir 2021 reflects the harmony of site, tradition, and winemaking mastery that defines one of Australia’s great Pinot Noir estates.
