Yalumba’s 175th Anniversary

Yalumba Celebrates 175^th Anniversary

Wednesday 25 September 2024 sees Yalumba releasing the latest vintages of their very best Rare and Fine wines to coincide with the celebration of their 175^th anniversary.​

The anniversary marks 175 years since the Yalumba was established in 1849 by its founder, Samuel Smith and celebrates the Hill Smith family legacy of honing their craft over six generations to produce exceptional fine wines.

Today, the Hill-Smith family has an unwavering commitment and inherent desire to forge a future for Australian fine wine. This is underpinned by their desire to produce wines from the most iconic regions, the most distinctive varieties and from vines that are amongst the oldest in the world.  Wines that are destined for the cellar, for the history book, for greatness.​

The wines that will be released as part of the anniversary celebration include the Signature 2021, The Signature 2014, The Signature 2012, and The Caley 2019.

The 2021 vintage of The Signature is particularly special as it marks the 50^th release of this, Yalumba’s flagship wine.

This year also marks the inaugural release of limited Museum Collection wines from Yalumba.  The 2014 vintage was originally presented to Chris Greening, one of Yalumba’s longest-serving Sales Managers who retired in 2017.  The vintage itself was characterized by long and slow ripening, producing wines with intense flavours and some of the best tannin and natural acidity in a Signature to date.

The 2012 vintage was presented to Yalumba’s Chairman and 5^th generation family winemaker, Robert Hill-Smith, to celebrate his 30 years’ service as Managing Director.  The vintage itself was almost perfect – a La Niña year in 2011 lead to great soil moisture and mild conditions throughout ripening produced fruit with outstanding concentration and depth of flavour.

“This anniversary is not only a nod to years passed. It is a reflection of our resilience and a commitment to mastering our craft, generation after generation. It also acknowledges the many exceptional fine wine people that have come through the gates of Yalumba across three centuries, with shared love for our property, our wines, and our industry.”

Robert Hill-Smith, Fifth-Generation Family Winemaker

Louisa Rose, Yalumba Winemaker & Head of Sustainability, will host a special event to launch these wines in the UK on Wednesday 25 September. She has been a part of the Yalumba family for 30 years, the past 18 years as Head Winemaker. Throughout those years, Louisa has become one of the world’s most respected winemakers, revered personally for her contribution to the industry and her wines. As Yalumba celebrates its 175th year, Louisa steps into a role that will arguably have a greater impact on the future of Yalumba than any other; Head of Sustainability.

Here’s to 175 Years of Looking Forward.​