There’s a particular skill in writing someone’s story in the space on the back label of a bottle of wine. A bottle‑sized biography that somehow captures decades of work within a family‑owned winery that has been part of the Australian wine landscape for 175 years. That task fell to Peter Sawrey, the custodian of The Signature’s tradition, who interviewed others and wrote their character into a few honest and succinct lines. When it came to the 2023 vintage, Yalumba asked something different of him. To turn that same craft inward, to write about his own contribution with the same humility and grace he’d always afforded others.
I have no doubt Yalumba have always appreciated Peter’s work, but this year they chose to express it in the most meaningful way they could. By placing his name on the bottle he has helped define for more than three decades. Each vintage of The Signature honours someone whose character has left a lasting imprint on the Hill‑Smith family. For this vintage, the storyteller becomes the Signatory, a gesture that acknowledges not only his years of service but the voice he gave to others. It feels like a full‑circle moment, offered with genuine respect.
Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia Price: $74 Source: Samples thanks kindly to Yalumba
The 2023 Signature feels like a turning of the page at Yalumba, a vintage shaped by calm, measured precision. Cabernet and Shiraz move together with quiet confidence rather than vying for attention. Black fruits and dark cherry rise from the glass on the first pour, carrying an intensity that speaks to its youth. The palate is voluptuous, slick and fulsome, yet carried by a refined elegance that keeps everything in balance. Black and blue fruits, a little red cherry, liquorice and herbs move in harmony, taking in the oak as the tannins glide across the incredibly long, composed and balanced finish. It’s a gorgeous wine. Generous and already showing the poise of something built to last. A fitting tribute to Peter Sawrey, a steady hand now written into the story he helped shape.
Words from a Wine Glass 