Dr Bailey Carrodus, the founder of top Australian wine estate Yarra Yering has died.
The celebrated Australian winemaker was credited as one of the driving forces in reviving winemaking in Victoria's now celebrated Yarra Valley.
He is, however, best known for producing some of Australia's greatest wines. Yarra Yering's Cabernet Sauvignon blend, Red Wine No1, and Shiraz blend Red Wine No2 both feature in Langton's classification of Australian wines.
Carrodus originally trained as a botanist specialising in plant physiology. After a stint of study in Europe, he returned to Australia, becoming a member of the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization (CSIRO).
In 1969, Carrodus founded Yarra Yering and began planting vines. The first vintage, in 1973, was the first wine to be commercially produced in the Yarra Valley for 52 years. Other estates, including Seville, Yeringberg and Mount Mary also emerged at this time. However, wine production in the valley, east of Melbourne in Australia's Victoria region, had started in 1838 with the arrival of the first settlers.
In the first few years of the winery, Carrodus also maintained his research for the CSIRO, producing studies including Male Scent-organ Chemicals of the Vine Moth (1978), before retiring in 1979.
By the early 1980s, Yarra Yering's reputation had been sealed. In 1991, James Halliday wrote that he had, 'long been a staunch and vocal supporter of Yarra Yering's dry reds'.
'They are wines which appeal to the heart rather than the mind,' he added. 'And those with a cerebral or over-technical approach may find fault – which is just as well, because there is not enough to go around.'
Carrodus produced several wines at the estate including the Dry White No1 (Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc), Dry Red No1 (Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot) and Dry Red No2 (Shiraz and other Rhone varietals, including Viognier). For the wines which contained 100% of the same variety, the wines were simply called Sangiovese, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot or Viognier.
According to the estate, Dr Bailey B Carrodus ' passed quietly' at Yarra Yering on 19 September.
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I was fortunate enough to visit Dr. Carrodus recently at Yarra Yerring. Of all winery visits, his was one of the most charmingly eccentric, and also one of the most visceral. The doctor was a stout believer that wine reflect whence it came, warm the heart and elevate the dining experience. He espoused these ideals with every draft of wine from barrel. Dr. Carrodus was no itinerant winemaker but stood firmly in the Yarra, convinced the region was capable of subtle wines that swoon rather than bludgeon. Tonight I will open an aged Yarra Yerring in his honour to prove, once again, that he was right.
Ned Goodwin, Tokyo, Japan
I too was fortunate enough to meet Bailey, whose wines I knew well, and admired greatly, at the end of a whirlwind one week first visit to Australia eleven years ago.
Hazel Murphy made the arrangements, which included lunch. I flew across from Adelaide, arriving an hour later than scheduled.
I then drove my hire car towards Geelong instead of Yarra- thanks to a keen sense of wine based geography I knew something was up, and that I would be very late for lunch. A quick call to Yarra Yering, Bailey answered, and reassured me that I was only an hour or so away! When I arrived finally, around 3pm, it was to a beautifully cooked lunch [made by Bailey] and a selection of wines- including the best Sangiovese outside Italy- much talk, and then on to a full barrel tasting in the cellars. I felt priviledged to be there, and to have Bailey's undivided attention for the whole visit.
I eventually set of back to Melbourne in the early evening, and the memory of this visit, this mans generosity, knowledge and skill as a wine maker, have remained with me ever since. We will all miss him.
Martin Lam
By his works shall he be known. Whenever I've ordered a bottle of Yarra Yering in a restaurant I always request a carafe, because in my experience his wines (amongst all of Australia's great reds) really behave and breathe like the great wines of Europe. A great loss of a great winemaker. The bottles that remain will taste sweeter and sadder for his passing
Tim Wildman MW
I was fortunate to share a bottle of red wine with friends on Saturday evening (24/01/09). It was a stunning wine which my friend bought on the farm Yarra Yering, from Dr. Carrodus himself. It had travelled through a lot of heat to get to Pretoria in South Africa, and was as full of life as the day it was bottled. Sangiovese 2003, a great wine- clearly from a great wine maker.
Prof. Andre van Zyl, South Africa
We, my dear friend Jirka Wein (yes, his family name is Wein!) and I have come across YY some fourteen years ago. Wine has been my hobby for the last 40 years – by my modest estimate I have drunk about 7000 bottles of wine by now. Since that memorable day when the two of us tasted our first Underhill Shiraz in my tiny wine cellar 14 years ago, YY wines have been the jewels of my cellar, and I have never missed a single year! The YY Underhill Shiraz became (and still is) our secret, our personal cult wine; we both agree that there simply is/was no better wine on this planet. I met Dr. Carrodus four years ago – the man radiated what his wine delivered. We hope for Dr. Carrodus that wherever he'll be now, there will be bread, cheese and wine … by preference his wine … it is something the gods will envy us mortals for!
Wolf-Uwe Ostermann, Iida, Nagano, Japan
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I was fortunate enough to visit Dr. Carrodus recently at Yarra Yerring. Of all winery visits, his was one of the most charmingly eccentric, and also one of the most visceral. The doctor was a stout believer that wine reflect whence it came, warm the heart and elevate the dining experience. He espoused these ideals with every draft of wine from barrel. Dr. Carrodus was no itinerant winemaker but stood firmly in the Yarra, convinced the region was capable of subtle wines that swoon rather than bludgeon. Tonight I will open an aged Yarra Yerring in his honour to prove, once again, that he was right.
