Nathan Scarlett was one of the keenest young minds in Australian viticulture, snatched from the world prematurely in 2013. I admired him immensely for his work across the Rathbone group in honing in on the detail and refining each of their vineyards. It is fitting that the new flagship Yering pinot is named in his honour, because it was Nathan who identified this special part of the estate block, fermented separately in just a single barrel for the first time in 2013. My recommendation of this wine is not for sentimental reasons, but because it is a beautifully refined pinot of elegant fragrance and silky texture that articulately tells the tale of its site. Impressively defined pure cherry and wild strawberry fruit are backed with excellent complexity of subtle savoury notes of beetroot, dried herbs, understated nuances of rose petals and musk, and in time a hint of truffle. It’s a wine of nuance and detail, framed in soft, fine, supple, silky tannins. Wonderful mouthfeel and palate presence fan out in a peacock’s tail on the finish, with a lift that captures the uniqueness of its site. Best price direct.