Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley: excellence in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir

Among the New World regions that over the years have emerged as leading producers of world class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are Australia’s Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 20 Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley to try

Two leading Australian cool climate regions

Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley are located in South Eastern Australia, close to Melbourne: The former about 70 km to the south; the latter 45 km northeast of the city.

Mornington Peninsula is surrounded by three bodies of water: Port Phillip Bay on the west side, Western Port Bay on the east, and Bass Strait at the bottom. This makes it one of Australia’s genuinely maritime regions with crisp, cooling breezes blowing all year round – this in turn means the growing season is long and balanced and that disease pressure is relatively low. Its topography, with ridges and rolling hills, is a result of volcanic activity 60 million years ago, followed by uplift through faulting in the last 15 million years.

The vast and diverse Yarra Valley is divided into the Lower Yarra and Upper Yarra, with distinct altitudes, soils, rainfall and climates. The Great Dividing Range borders it to the north and the Dandenong Ranges to the south with the Yarra River running through it. The river is also a dividing line between the region’s two main soil profiles (see box below), which, together with elevation and aspect, are a source of much diversity within the region.

The regions at a glance

Morning Peninsula

Climate: Maritime

Altitude: 10 – 260m

Latitude: 38° 35’S

​​Growing Season rainfall (April – October): 371 mm

Mean January temperature (mean temperature in the warmest month): 19.3°C

Soils: Very diverse. From yellow and brown soils over friable, well-drained clay to volcanic red clay and deep, fertile sandy soils in the northern area.

Leading varieties: Pinot Noir (48% of total area under vine); Chardonnay (31%); Pinot Gris (14%); Shiraz (3%); Sauvignon Blanc (2%).

Yarra Valley

Climate: Continental with Mediterranean influences

Altitude: 30 – 400m

Latitude: 37° 73’S

​​Growing Season rainfall (April – October): 559mm

Mean January temperature (mean temperature in the warmest month): 18.9°C

Soils: Two main, extremely different, soil types dominate and are source of important differences in growing conditions and wine profile: the Northern side of the valley features soils of grey to grey-brown clay on the surface, with red-brown clay subsoils often filled with rock; the Southern side features much younger, immensely deep, fertile red volcanic soil.

Leading varieties: Pinot Noir (36% of total area under vine); Chardonnay (33%); Shiraz (8%); Cabernet Sauvignon (6%); Pinot Gris (5%).

Albeit cool climate regions, Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley are at relatively low latitudes, namely if compared to classical Old World Chardonnay and Pinot Noir producers such as France or Germany. This means that light during the growing season is abundant and intense, requiring careful canopy management and often causing grapes to develop thicker skins. This in turn has a direct impact on the profile of the wines produced, which can display more colour and tannins, even the flavour profile is unmistakably cool climate.

Building classics through innovation

So what has driven the quality and character of the wines, namely Chardonnays and Pinot Noir, from Morning Peninsula and Yarra Valley? A unique combination of particular terroirs and of dynamic communities of winemakers that, building upon very good technical knowledge, are not shy of experimentation and innovation.

A granular understanding of geology, extensive research on clonal selection and state of the art winemaking facilities might have, throughout the 20th century laid the foundation for quality winemaking, with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as the leading varieties. But the 21st has seen a greater interest in sustainable viticulture and low intervention winemaking, which has further increased the regions’ quality and expressiveness. Maverick winemakers such Timo Mayer, Mac Forbes, Steve Flamsteed (Giant Steps), Steve Webber (De Bortoli), in Yarra Valley and Martin Spedding (Ten Minutes by Tractor), Ben Haines, Tom Carson (Distant Noises, Yabby Lake) in Mornington Peninsula, tore the rule book and, with a relentless focus on the specificity of their vineyards, are making wines that can now claim cult status.

The fact that Phil Sexton, a jazz lover and founder of Giant Steps, decided to name his winery after the iconic album by John Coltrane evokes a suitable analogy. Very much like jazz musicians, the winemaking communities of Morning Peninsula and Yarra Valley work with the outstanding repertoire of terroirs nature has given them and with their own masterful skills, to create singular, creative yet classical wines.

Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley – 20 Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs to try:

Wines grouped by style and ordered by score, in descending order. 

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