{"title":"Wantirna Estate","description":"\u003cp\u003eReg Egan, who established this haven on the fringe of the Yarra Valley back in 1963, is pushing 94 and still drives a tractor and tends the vines a couple of days a week. He thought suburbia would swallow up the vineyard decades ago, and it would’ve, but for the Green Wedge policy of the 1970s. As the cacophony of modernity encroaches ever closer, Wantirna Estate remains its own Eden. So much has changed, but these old vines still eke out their exquisite quartet of wines.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"wantirna-amelia-cabernet-sauvignon-merlot-2022","title":"Wantirna 'Amelia' Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003eA large proportion of the grapes for this wine come from the original 1963 plantings of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc vines. The remainder is from the more recently planted – 1989 – petit verdot. Whilst the proportions are different every year, depending on fruit set and cropping levels, roughly speaking the break down is about as follows: 65% cabernet sauvignon, 30% cabernet franc and merlot, and 5% petit verdot. The addition of the petit verdot grapes in the 1990s gave the wine an added backbone of tannin and natural acidity. With its long growing season, the petit verdot grapes are the last to be harvested, usually in mid April. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2022 Amelia cabernet sauvignon merlot is showing trademark Amelia elegance and finesse with a little bit extra in ripeness. The 2022 Amelia is a typical Wantirna cabernet blend. The fruit is ripe, the tannins long and the palate reflects the high quality of Cabernets from this area of Australia. The blend this year is 24% merlot\/cabernet franc, 66% cabernet sauvignon and 10% petit verdot. Certainly the 2022 it is a wine with tremendous immediate appeal and will definitely age very well.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e- Maryann Egan \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlackcurrant and red fruits, tobacco and pencils, quite some violet and rosehip perfume, some camphor, roast red capsicum and dried herb. It’s medium-bodied, firm and finely etched, very ‘minerally’, the acidity is crisp and almost cranberried, the tannin offers some chalky and grainy grip, and it’s long and bright to close. This wine has energy and perfume, and while it’s kind of frisky, I reckon it’s really good. Cellaring will unlock further nuance and beauty.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e96 points. Gary Walsh, The Winefront Sep 2024\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Five Way Cellars","offers":[{"title":"750ml","offer_id":41792677970038,"sku":"19120","price":110.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0061\/3331\/7750\/files\/WantirnaEstateAmeliaCabernetSauvignonMerlot.jpg?v=1739261182"},{"product_id":"wantirna-amelia-cabernet-sauvignon-merlot-2023","title":"Wantirna 'Amelia' Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003eA large proportion of the grapes for this wine come from the original 1963 plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc vines. The remainder is from the more recently planted—1989—Petit Verdot. Whilst the proportions differ every year, depending on fruit set and cropping levels, roughly speaking, the breakdown is as follows: 65% Cabernet sauvignon, 30% Cabernet franc and Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot. The addition of Petit Verdot grapes in the 1990s gave the wine a backbone of tannin and natural acidity. With its long growing season, Petit Verdot grapes are the last to be harvested, usually in mid-April.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 2023 Amelia Cabernet Merlot blend is a classic from this label. Approachable now with its complex mix of black berries, generous weight and those lovely long tannins that we get from the low yielding 60 plus year old vines. - \u003cstrong\u003eMaryann Egan\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCabernet as drawn by MC Escher, exquisitely etched, scrawling volumes into the tiny details. Mulberry and cassis, fennel seed and bay leaf, violets pressed between dusty tissue paper. A diaphanous sheath of fruit deftly \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003edraped over a compact and composed framework. Lovely fine acid line and microfine tannins that sit effortlessly in the wine. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e13% alcohol, \u003cstrong\u003e97 points. Nick Ryan, The Australian, Oct 2025\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA 45\/45\/10% cabernet sauvignon\/merlot and cabernet franc\/petit verdot blend with the majority coming off the original dry-grown 1963 plantings. A fabulous, bright crimson\/purple. A touch riper and richer than the '22. There's a sumptuous core of dark fruits, violets, cedar and fresh pencil shavings on the nose. It's just as enticing on the perfectly pitched, medium bodied, elegant and very persistent palate. Everything is in place for a long and productive life! \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e97 points. Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion, Sep 2025\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBlackcurrant, raspberry, redcurrant, lots of pencils, a dusty spicy almost peppery top note, roast red capsicum, some menthol, violets too. It’s medium-bodied, very tight with cool glassy acidity, again those pencils and dark tobacco, a fine grainy grip to tannin, with a crunchy cranberry finish of excellent length. It’s a vintage where the Cabernet Franc perfume and brightness seems to ride quite high, and I like that sort of thing very much. And the pencils. I love pencils in my Cabernets. It’s finely-etched and classic in its Yarra Valley restraint. I reckon it’s tops.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e96 points. Gary Walsh, The Winefront, Sep 2025.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Five Way Cellars","offers":[{"title":"750ml","offer_id":42748309209206,"sku":"21350","price":115.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0061\/3331\/7750\/files\/19065_Image1.jpg?v=1762840346"},{"product_id":"wantirna-amelia-cabernet-sauvignon-merlot-2024","title":"Wantirna 'Amelia' Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003eA large proportion of the grapes for this wine come from the original 1963 plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc vines. The remainder is from the more recently planted—1989—Petit Verdot. Whilst the proportions differ every year, depending on fruit set and cropping levels, roughly speaking, the breakdown is as follows: 65% Cabernet sauvignon, 30% Cabernet franc and Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot. The addition of Petit Verdot grapes in the 1990s gave the wine a backbone of tannin and natural acidity. With its long growing season, Petit Verdot grapes are the last to be harvested, usually in mid-April.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis year’s blend is a classic from this label. The wonderful 2024 season shines through, showcasing the year’s incredible flavour concentration. A wonderful, complex mix of all the berries, generous weight and those lovely long tannins that we get from the grapes of the 60-year-old vines. 2024 produced smaller quantities than usual for this wine. - \u003cstrong\u003eMaryann Egan\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e47\/44\/9% cabernet sauvignon\/merlot and cabernet franc field blend\/petit verdot. A gorgeous, bright, crimson purple. This soars effortlessly from the glass with its aromas of pure blackcurrant, dark raspberry and gentle cedar and floral notes. The more you swirl this, the more perfumed it becomes! Medium bodied, this is just as fragrant on the palate, which is simultaneously concentrated, structured, elegant and very long. A simply superb wine. \u003cstrong\u003e98 points. Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGets you in straight away. It has a violet and rose perfume, redcurrant and blackcurrant, pencil and cedar, and a little spice. Medium-bodied, crispness and precision, but also a good amount of red and black fruit flavour and concentration, some tobacco and pencil savouriness, light grainy tannin grip with a bright finish of excellent length. Textbook Yarra Cabernets. Wonderful. \u003cstrong\u003e96 points. Gary Walsh, The Wine Front.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Five Way Cellars","offers":[{"title":"750ml","offer_id":49229120143478,"sku":"23284","price":115.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0061\/3331\/7750\/files\/19065_Image1_4ccb46ee-532f-457c-ae3a-4e1959b485fd.jpg?v=1793581484"},{"product_id":"wantirna-hannah-cabernet-franc-merlot-2024","title":"Wantirna 'Hannah' Cabernet Franc Merlot 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003eA special release wine of which only one barrel is made each year, producing approximately 288 bottles per year. A blend of around 50% of each variety, the wine is aged in a new barrique from the Burgundian cooperage of Dargaud and Jaeglé. To capture the fragrance and perfume of Cabernet Franc and the mulberry character of Merlot, the recent wines have been bottled after 12 months in barrel. The wine is released after a further 15 months of bottle ageing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirst made from the 1999 harvest, the wine is inspired by the beautiful wines of St-Émilion, in particular Château Cheval Blanc. The 2023 Hannah Cabernet Franc Merlot blend exudes a fabulous perfume of the Cabernet Franc. Juicy and ripe black and blue berries, with a hint of oak from the single French barrique it is made in. Ripe and ready to drink, but will just keep on growing in bottle. - \u003cstrong\u003eMaryann Egan\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Five Way Cellars","offers":[{"title":"750ml","offer_id":49229120438390,"sku":"23285","price":205.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0061\/3331\/7750\/files\/19066_Image1.jpg?v=1793581486"},{"product_id":"wantirna-isabella-chardonnay-2025","title":"Wantirna 'Isabella' Chardonnay 2025","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe chardonnay vines are grown on an east facing, gentle slope allowing early morning and late afternoon sunshine. This aspect is perfect to grow top quality chardonnay grapes. Today the average age of the vines is over 40 years, which adds to the complexity of the fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is a classic Isabella with a textured roundness, lovely balancing acidity and a combination of New and Old World. Drinking beautifully already, but with plenty of ageing potential. - \u003cstrong\u003eMaryann Egan, Winemaker.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom 50–60-year-old vines. A complex bouquet of yellow plum, orange zest and fresh honeycomb. Beautifully balanced on the palate, which is vibrant and saline, with a fine bead of acidity that leaves you wanting another sip as soon as you've finished the first. A gorgeous wine that will reward cellaring for at least five to seven years. Only 85 dozen made. \u003cstrong\u003e97 points. Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNo shortage of flavour here, quite peachy and rich, almost a mango juiciness, combining creaminess with a bright acid cut. There’s a little cedar and spiced oak tucked neatly in, some aniseed and floral perfume, an oatmeal savoury touch, a fine chalky grip to texture, with a long and finish that combines citrus with ripe stone fruits. Lovely wine here, and while it’s good now, I’d likely give it another year in bottle for best results. \u003cstrong\u003e 94+ points. Gary Walsh, The Wine Front.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Five Way Cellars","offers":[{"title":"750ml","offer_id":49340763013238,"sku":"23265","price":115.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0061\/3331\/7750\/files\/19063_Image1_ddcbab61-44a3-4f30-9330-a568a76ca19d.jpg?v=1794303460"},{"product_id":"wantirna-lily-pinot-noir-2024","title":"Wantirna 'Lily' Pinot Noir 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003eWe have been watching the wine evolve since it was bottled 20 months ago, and we love how it's developed. It has really delicious fruitiness teamed with textural density and power right now. The wine will continue to age beautifully. \u003cstrong\u003eMaryann Egan, Winemaker.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA light, bright crimson. This is quite different from the brooding, backward '23. A pretty, perfumed bouquet redolent of red summer berries, fresh florals and a little spice. The palate is lively and juicy before finishing with velvety, persistent old-vine tannins. By all means, open this now and enjoy it with Peking duck, but know that it will age very nicely over the next decade. \u003cstrong\u003e97 Points. Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion., Sep 2025\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis is a bolder iteration of Lily. Poached strawberry, spice, a certain creamy richness and power to the wine, kind of in the mould of a Californian Pinot. It’s nutty, ripe red fruits, some blood orange and rhubarb, and vaguely autumnal things, perhaps a little breathy in alcohol, which is a little unusual for this wine, and there’s some fine sandy tannin, a bit of sap to acidity, and a spicy finish of good length, with some mint and squishy strawberry to close. Quite plump, but also has some perfume and a good amount of character. \u003cstrong\u003e93 points. Gary Walsh, The Wine Front\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"fivewaycellars","offers":[{"title":"750ml","offer_id":49340763209846,"sku":"23266","price":115.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0061\/3331\/7750\/files\/16972_Image1_8e062255-910e-4a0e-ae8e-5812c5a708d0.jpg?v=1794303462"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0061\/3331\/7750\/collections\/Wantirna_Estate.jpg?v=1794303677","url":"https:\/\/fivewaycellars.com.au\/collections\/wantirna-estate.oembed","provider":"Five Way Cellars","version":"1.0","type":"link"}