I really did a poor job planning any tastings in Australia's Yarra Valley. I had a lunch appointment that I had scheduled but the rest of the day was embarrassingly free. A mad google search reminded me that one of my favorite old-school producers would be open for tasting: Yarra Yering, where they've been making wine since 1973. I was giddy with anticipation when I saw the amount of wines available for tasting, but quickly honed in on one bottle in particular: the 2001 Underhill Shiraz. Beyond pleasantly surprised to see an older vintage offered for consumption, my lofty expectations were met: this was a lovely wine with wonderful, subtle fruit and completely integrated oak and tannin. Perfectly balanced and lovely. And in a climate of supercharged Aussie Shiraz (though certainly the Yarra Valley is home to many exceptions), it was nice to sample a bottle with a modest 13% alcohol. My reverential mindset in the tasting room was provided with some levity by a rambunctious kitty and companion: Thank you Yarra Yering for wines as inspiring as the view: