2025 Mayer Grenache Yarra Valley 750ml

Awards, Ratings & Reviews

94/100 — Mike Bennie, The Wine Front · 2025 Vintage
“From Kangaroo Ground, on black basalt, a rare soil profile for the district. Rob Hall used to make rose out of the fruit. Payten & Jones made a table wine a while back out of it. Now, fruit wings its way up the Bloody Hill and gets the 100% whole bunch Mayer workout. Pinot-esque, sleek and fine, refreshing red berry fruitiness, some wild herbs, a saltbush or piquant samphire kind of sea succulent salt-bitter-freshness going on. Some moss and bitter roots too. It’s not a bitter wine though, just accented by it. The dark fruit lingers past the long finish. A svelte pucker of dusty tannin lending structure. A little bolder than expected, but good gear.”

About This Wine

This debut Grenache from Timo Mayer comes from Kangaroo Ground in the Yarra Valley, grown on black volcanic soils.

The wine is crafted in Mayer’s signature style, prioritising structure and tannin over richness. It is produced using 100% whole bunch fermentation.

Producer's Notes

From Kangaroo Ground on black volcanic soils. The colour sits in a transparent medium-red zone. The nose opens warm and slightly smoky with notes of blood orange, pomegranate and plum. Bright acidity and firm, grippy tannins keep the wine poised, balancing natural richness with freshness and structure.

About the Producer

Mayer winery in Australia's Yarra Valley is a small operation founded in 2000 by Timo Mayer. Originally from the German region of Württemberg, Mayer has been working in the Yarra Valley since the 1990s.

In Australia Mayer produces wines from Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Nebbiolo, Gamay and Chardonnay. He has also made a Riesling and Pinot Noir in Württemberg.

Bloody Hill is one of the estate's key vineyards, so named for its steepness. The vineyard has rocky volcanic soils and lies at an altitude between 300–470 meters (980–1,540 feet). The vines mainly consist of organically farmed Pinot Noir.

Mayer's Württemberg background has helped shape his winemaking style in Australia. Württemberg is a region well known for its Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) and Mayer uses 100-percent whole-bunch Pinot Noir, which was unusual in the Yarra when he first began. The prominent note of funk that is found in many Mayer wines has become characteristic of the brand.

Specifications

• Vintage: 2025
• Grape Variety: Grenache
• Region: Yarra Valley / Victoria / Australia
• Fermentation: 100% whole bunches
• Alcohol: 13%
• Closure: DIAM Cork