One of the best lines from the hit HBO show Succession is delivered by Kendall Roy late in season three: “All bangers, all the time.” Of course, Kendall is talking about the playlist he’s meticulously putting together for his 40th birthday party, but it could just as easily be applied to wines from the Yarra Valley.
The Victorian region was the highest scoring in the 2025 Halliday Wine Companion overall, with over 65 wines scored 97+ points. It was also the top performing, with awards for both Wine of the Year (Oakridge) and Winery of the Year (Giant Steps), and winners in five varietal categories. The latest batch of reviews submitted by Halliday tasters Philip Rich and Katrina Butler for the 2026 edition are similarly strong.
Want a sneak peek? Below are 20 Yarra Valley bangers, rated between 95–97 points and in a range of colours, varieties and styles. There's even a range of price points, starting with De Bortoli’s outrageously good-value sangiovese nebbiolo rosato at $28, and although the jump to Levantine Hill’s hearty-yet-bright Colleen’s Paddock Pinot Noir at $200 is admittedly big, most of the wines on this list hover at around $40–65ish a bottle.
This list is also by no means definitive; merely a snapshot of what you can expect from the region when the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion is released in August 2025.
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