The Wanderer Upper Yarra Pinot Noir 2025
The Wine
A soft touch here, using twenty percent whole bunches and allowing the wild ferment to naturally unfold in large oak. Unrefined in the best way, it’s bottled without fining or filtration to capture the raw energy of the vineyard. A small 2025 yield gave the fruit real power. It bursts with dark cherries, crushed rose petals, and the site’s signature volcanic smokiness.
97 Pts Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion 'From a single vineyard in Yellingbo in the Upper Yarra; 20% whole bunches, 20% new oak. Medium bright crimson. Fragrant and spicy aromas of red and black fruits, rose bush and a touch of allspice. The fruit has thoroughly swallowed up the oak. Medium bodied, with excellent depth and very persistent, fine-grained tannins. Finishes long. A super wine destined to improve over the next six to eight years.'
The Details
Variety - Pinot Noir
Country - Australia
Region - Victoria
Sun Region - Yarra Valley
Extra - Cork
Year - 2025
Volume - 750ml
About the Wine Maker 
Andrew Marks 'aka' The Wanderer, is a globe-trotting winemaker creating some of Australia’s most distinctive, character-packed wines. Part of a new generation of Australian vintners focused on quality over quantity, his small-batch range is crafted with elegance and minimal intervention from vine to bottle. Since founding The Wanderer Wines in 2005, Andrew has sourced top-notch Yarra Valley fruit and vinified it at Gembrook Hill Vineyard. Specializing in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, he works closely with growers to secure exceptional fruit, relying on gentle handling to produce wines rich in flavour, texture, and intensity. Born in Melbourne, he studied winemaking at Roseworthy in Adelaide before adventures took him from Penfolds to vintages in France, the US, and Spain. Returning to his family’s Gembrook Hill Vineyard in 2005, he launched The Wanderer Wines with a negociant style—buying premium fruit and treating it with a light touch in the winery. His mission: to make small-batch Yarra Valley wines bursting with flavour and remarkable texture.
