Victoria’s Most Expensive New Wine, Optume Levantine Hill

Victoria is home to several impressive wine regions or GIs, from producers making stickies up in the hills to the most elegant Pinot in Yarra Valley.

Victoria’s wine quality is up there with the best in the world. Well, things just got more interesting. Levantine Hill Winery just released one of the most expensive wines in the country. Here’s what you need to know about it.

Before we talk about this exclusive wine, let us invite you to our Yarra Valley private winery tours and romantic getaways to Yarra Valley. Our Private Yarra Valley Wine Tours will take you to the most exciting estates up in the valley, Victoria’s leading GI. If you want to taste wine on another level, this is it.

Levantine Hill, A Unique Estate

At the heart of Yarra Valley, Levantine Hill has positioned itself as one of the most prestigious producers in the area. The quality-oriented team chose a steep hill to plant their flagship vineyard, and, against all odds, their bet paid off.

Here, Cabernet, Shiraz, Sauvignon, Semillon, Pinot Noir and a few others benefit from ideal sun exposure and the cool breeze guaranteed by the vineyard’s high altitudes.

Although the vineyards in Yarra Valley have no official classification, experts consider the best plots in Levantine Hill as unofficial Grand Crus. It’s easy to see why one of the most expensive wines in the area comes from these steep vineyards.

The Optume Range

Levantine Hill’s Optume Range represents the best wines in their repertoire. Two wines rise over all others, Optume Cabernet Sauvignon and Optume Shiraz.

The Cabernet offers the loveliest cassis and blackberry flavours with dried herbs and brown spices in the background. The palate is blessed by hints of leather and the most elegant earthiness.

Optume Shiraz is all about mulberry scents, dried figs, brown spice and pepper over a persistent palate with chewy tannins. A tight acidic backbone brings it all together for a big wine with astounding finesse.

These two wines are ideal for long tablecloth dinners, especially if beef or lamb is on the menu. Hard cheese, duck, truffles and mushroom dishes are also compatible with these impressive reds. Of course, these wines are not inexpensive, so they’re not everyday wines — each bottle retails for $800 a bottle. The question is, are they worth the price?

Is Optume Wine Worth It?

The most expensive red wines in Australia retail for around $800, the same amount Levantine Hill asks for its Optume range wines. We’re talking about legendary wines, including Henschke’s Hill of Grace and Penfolds Grange. And although Levantine Hill’s wines are certainly at the same level, they still don’t have the historical significance to put such lavish price tags on their wines. Don’t you agree?

If you want to discover extraordinary wine at better prices, let us take you on our Yarra Valley private winery tours and romantic getaways to Yarra Valley. From visiting Domaine Chandon Yarra Valley, accommodation included, to several other prestigious producers, all close to our exclusive romantic accommodation spots in Yarra Valley, this is how wine should be enjoyed – amongst the vines.