New Yarra Valley luxury hotel unveiled

Elias Jreissati and his team at Levantine Hill are obsessive about quality. 

Whether it comes to architecture and design or food and wine, only best is good enough for the property tycoon and art collector.  

Now the Levantine Hill precinct in the Yarra Valley is preparing for a new arrival - a luxury boutique hotel on the banks of the river. 

Levantine Hill Hotel is set to open in June 2025 and will be part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World collection.

Within a short walk of the vines, the winery cellar door, fine dining restaurant and events centre, the new boutique hotel will offer 33 suites over two levels, each with its own living area, study and private balcony with stunning views over the vineyards and surrounding hills.

Eight of the suites will feature expansive circular baths while the Optume Suite (named after the winery's flagship label) will have its own dressing room, open fireplace, cellar and bar, making it a great choice for a bridal suite or cocoon for couples.

Designed by Australian architects, FK (aka Fender Katsalidis), the striking hotel embodies the “Genius Loci” as a guiding principle of Karl Fender’s original approach for Levantine Hill, drawing inspiration from wine barrels. 

With a strong commitment to sustainability, the hotel has been built using a range of natural materials throughout, as well as plants for privacy, the implementation of water harvesting and purification.

Guests will be able to enjoy access to multiple on-site heli pads (helicopter is the perfect way to arrive at Levantine Hill), a fully equipped indoor gym, an outdoor exercise area and a 1.5 km walking track which will wind through sculpture-filled gardens featuring over 30 world-class sculptures. 

Complimentary continental breakfast and a fully-stocked mini bar will be included in every stay.

For more information visit https://www.levantinehill.com.au/

How to ensure your aged wine emerges from the cellar in top condition

Many wine lovers want to put away a bottle of wine or two for a special occasion. Others prefer to drink their wines when they are fully mature. 

The team from Levantine Hill - one of the leading premium producers in the Yarra Valley (https://www.levantinehill.com.au) - has just shared some very useful tips on the best ways to ensure your wine has the best chance of emerging from storage in peak condition.

Of all the factors influencing the quality of stored wine, temperature is perhaps the most important. Unsuitably warm or cold temperatures are a sure way to spoil wine.

In general, the ideal temperature for long-term or short-term wine storage is around 14ºC, but this can vary from wine to wine.

Here are Levantine Hill's top tips. 

Store wines horizontally
For bottles with corks, be sure to store your wine horizontally in a wine rack. Keeping wine on its side helps keep the cork moist, which is key for long-term storage, as a dried out cork can cause seepage and premature aging. While it’s not necessary to keep screw top wine bottles on their sides, horizontal storage is nevertheless an efficient way to store your wines for maximum space and easy access.

Protect Wine from Light
Whether you’re storing it for months, weeks, or days, keep your wine in the dark as much as possible. UV rays from direct sunlight can damage wine’s flavours and aromas.

Store Wine at the Proper Humidity
Humidity extremes in your wine cellar or storage area can also impact your wine’s longevity. At lower humidity levels, your corks can dry out, leaving the wine vulnerable to the effects of oxygen, while higher humidity can cause labels to peel off the bottles, making them difficult to display or sell. In general, your wine cellar humidity should be between 60% and 68%.

Store Wine in a Wine Fridge, Not a Regular Fridge
If you don’t have a wine storage space that’s consistently cool, dark, and moist, a wine refrigerator is a good idea. Unlike a standard refrigerator, which keeps your food very cold and dry, a wine fridge keeps wine between 10-15˚C and at the proper humidity. (A good fridge will also have a cooler setting for Champagne.) Keeping your wine in a separate wine fridge also helps prevent cross-contamination from food odours.

Store Open Bottles of Wine Properly
Stored properly, an opened bottle of wine can last 3-5 days [I'd say 5-7] . The key to extending its shelf life and retain its original qualities is to recork it promptly and tightly, or alternatively use a specialised mechanism such as a Coravin that can preserve wine for a longer period.

New Levantine Hill wine releases make a serious statement

Elias Jreissati is not afraid to make a statement, or ruffle a few wine industry feathers.

The Melbourne property developer and philanthropist aims for the stars whether it concerns his business, or his family operated Levantine Hill winery in the Yarra Valley.

When building his cellar door - and later a state-of-the-art winery/functions centre - he used leading architects Fender Katsalidis.

When choosing a winemaker he selected Yarra Valley cool-climate guru Paul Bridgeman (below).

Now there are plans for a luxury hotel on site and Levantine Hill hit the headlines this week when it released its second batch of Optume wines; high-end, very limited-release wines that are the most expensive in Victoria.

The new releases are the 2020 Levantine Hill Optume Chardonnay and the 2018 Levantine Hill Optume Shiraz, dubbed as "Masterpieces of Wine".

Both have been made from grapes sourced from across the Yarra Valley - some from the estate, others from "a row here, or a small block there".

"The combination of terroirs allows for more nuanced flavours and complexity, and the creation of a wine that is greater than the sum of its individual parts," says winemaker Bridgeman.

"These wines are the optimum expression of cool-climate wines that have been crafted without regard to vineyard location, cost or effort - the pinnacle of what we are capable of.

"Elias has a belief in our vinous vision of art - and Optume is our Michelangelo. Instead of being limited by our boundaries we looked at putting a blanket over the entire Yarra Valley - taking various elements from the best vineyards across the region, seven sites in all."   

The chardonnay may be a first release, but is up there with the finest Australian chardonnays I have  been fortunate enough to sample. Beautifully balanced with impressive light and shade, it is full flavoured and downright delicious.

When this intense but subtle wine was being benchmarked, the great white Burgundy Bonneau du Martray was much referred to.

Only 660 bottles were made, so this is an instant collectors item.

The 2018 Optume Shiraz is a parcel of just 984 bottles and it is a classic cool-climate shiraz that will develop over time. 

Right now it is very classy but still a little sleepy. Stylish but not strident; one for the cellar at least in the short term. I can't wait to taste this in 5-10 years. 

The chardonnay sells for $600 a bottle, the shiraz for $880, so clearly these are not wines for everyone, although buyers will get a rare opportunity to sample wines that very few people will ever taste. Each wine comes in a wooden box with its own key (below). 

The wines will only be made in outstanding vintages. Last year the Optume releases were a shiraz and a cabernet. This time around the cabernet was deemed not to have made the cut, but there is the first release of what is now Australia's most expensive single vintage chardonnay.

"Levantine Hill Estate exists for one reason: to produce wines of uncompromising quality and distinction," says art lover Jreissati. "We have an ongoing desire to pursue perfection - and push the boundaries. 

 
"The vision is to create the optimum expression of a cool-climate wine, from each suitable vintage - and there are always consumers who want the exceptional. These wines are for them.

"I see Paul Bridgeman as an artist who is weaving his magic and crafting the best example of what can be achieved."

Elias Jreissati and his wife Colleen (top image) own Levantine Hill and his daughters Samantha and Melissa also play key roles in the business. The business was established in 2009 and produced its first vintage in 2012. 

To learn more, or buy a bottle, see https://www.levantinehill.com.au/pages/optume

# The writer was a guest of Levantine Hill

New-release flagship wines available via expressions of interest

 

Levantine Hill has unveiled details of the second release of its Optume series - and sales will be made via expressions of interest. 

The initial Optume release was the most expensive range of wines ever made in Victoria.

The Yarra Valley winery says the new vintage releases will comprise the inaugural chardonnay release from the 2020 vintage, and the 2018 Optume Shiraz.

The winey told mailing list memebers: "Due to limited quantities made of each wine, we invite you to register your interest in advance of the official release on market."

Registrations of interest will access pre-release pricing, which is only available until February 24.

There are 984 bottles of the shiraz, which has an RRP of $880 a bottle, and 600 bottles of the chardonnay, which has an RRP of $600. 

Both wines are made by Levantine Hill chief winemaker Paul; Bridgeman (above). 

See levantinehill.com.au

Meet the most expensive wines made in Victoria

 

Premium Yarra Valley wine producer Levantine Hill is always prepared to make a statement. 

Owners the Jreissati family and winemaker Paul Bridgeman strive for excellence - and know how to charge for it. 

Now welcome Optume, Levantine Hill Estate’s $800 celebrations of shiraz and cabernet sauvignon from the Yarra - the winery's most premium range yet and launched today. 

The 2017 Levantine Hill Optume Shiraz will have a limited release of 65 cases, and the 2017 Levantine Hill Optume Cabernet Sauvignon will have an even more limited release of 58 dozen bottles.

Levantine Hill winemaker Paul Bridgeman says he has aimed to craft wines expressing the heart and soul of the Yarra Valley. 

The wines use hand-sorted grapes sourced from several selected Yarra Valley sites, which Bridgeman says allows for more nuanced flavours and complexity. 

The bottles have been imported from France (another statement) and locally-crafted presentation boxes will hold each bottle, complete with their own individually numbered key to secure the contents. 

Levantine Hill managing director Samantha Jreissati says the release of the Optume label represents an important milestone in the company’s quest to produce Australia’s very best wines of uncompromising quality. 

“These wines are made from the best parcels of cabernet sauvignon and shiraz that we can find across the Yarra Valley from the 2017 vintage - so it is a true celebration of our entire region,’’ she said.

 “Optume was born following a chance discussion between Levantine Hill Estate’s founder Elias Jreissati and winemaker Paul Bridgeman (pictured above), who had a meeting of minds about what sort of wine could be created in the Yarra Valley if no effort or expense was spared and other premium wine growers were given the opportunity to submit grapes for inclusion in it. 

"Their shared vision is to create the optimum expression of a GI-specific, cool-climate wine - hence the name - from each suitable vintage, without regard to location, effort or cost. 

"We are very proud of the results." 

The $800 price tag is believed to make the Optume wines the most expensive in Victoria. 

“The rarity of these wines is due to the pulling together of the particular strengths as well as expressions of a small number of select single site grapes around Levantine Hill and the broader Yarra Valley, expressly targeted for predicted contributions they will have towards the final blend,’’ said Bridgeman. 

“In the end, the wine’s expression aims to be greater than the sum of all parts, which conveys a synergy and seamless balance across the palate, reflecting broader vintage conditions across the multitude of targeted vineyard sites.’’ 

Levantine Hill Optume is available to purchase online at levantinehill.com.au, or in person at the Levantine Hill Cellar Door, Armadale Cellars in Melbourne and Moncur Cellars in Sydney. 

Levantine Hill leads the way with bird-saving technology

Elias Jreisatti and his family do not do things by halves. 

The creation and expansion of the Levantine Hill wine property in the Yarra Valley over the past 12 years has been extraordinary. 

Top architects; research that took Elias and his wife Colleen to some of the finest wine properties in the world; the winemaking excellent of Paul Bridgeman, a world-class restaurant. 

A spectacular new winery and functions space opened recently and there are plans for luxury hotels on the spectacular site.  

Onwards and upwards. 

Now Levantine Hill has instituted a new system to keep birds from its vines without using netting, which can be both unsightly and dangerous for avian creatures and small mammals, which get trapped. 

The new system uses lasers to keep the vines safe from flying predators, an alternative to noisy scarer guns, or shooting. 

The system was designed and manufactured in the Netherlands by the Bird Control Group and is fully automated. Birds see the lasers as a threat and flee the area.   

The system has been used in vineyards in the US and Canada but the system is the largest of its type in Australia.

Levantine Hill managing direct Samantha Jreissati said: "Like most wineries we have been concerned about the welfare of birds and small animals. That had to be a better way then using nets, and we've invested in a technology solution that has proven to be successful overseas."

The system has been approved by Birdlife Australia and the WWF as a humane deterrent method.