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From our family to your glass, discover the story of Rathbone Family Wines.
INTRODUCTION
Established in 1996, the Rathbone family began buidling their portfolio of acclaimed Australian wineries. Today, the Rathbone family proudly own and operate Yering Station, Xanadu and Mount Langi Ghiran. Guided by passion and generations of experience in wine and agriculture, the family and their winery teams steward each estate with a commitment to quality.
The family’s first vineyard purchase was in the Yarra Valley in 1995. Doug Rathbone and his brother Graeme purchased the site and named it in honour of their grandmother, Laura Barnes. Doug’s eldest son, Darren, started planting vines on the land after graduating from Chemical Engineering. Soon thereafter, the family realised that what they were passionately working toward was too big for a hobby, yet too small for a business. When the nearby Yering Station property was made available for sale later the same year, the family’s dream soon became a reality.
The family’s first vineyard purchase was in the Yarra Valley in 1995. Doug Rathbone and his brother Graeme purchased the site and
named it in honour of their grandmother—Laura Barnes.
Doug’s eldest son, Darren, started planting vines on the land after graduating from Chemical Engineering. Soon thereafter, the family
realised that what they were passionately working toward was too big
for a hobby, yet too small for a business.
Doug’s eldest son, Darren, started planting vines on the land after graduating from Chemical Engineering. Soon thereafter, the family
realised that what they were passionately working toward was too big
for a hobby, yet too small for a business.
When the nearby Yering Station property was made available for sale later the same year, the family’s dream soon became a reality.
The establishment of the Rathbone Wine Group was formed when the Rathbone family purchased Yering Station in 1996. Moving into their first vintage in 1997, they began to establish their wine philosophy; striving to get the very best out of each grape with merit, rigour and integrity at the core.
“ When we first started out, OUR AMBITION WAS TO SIMPLY MAKE GREAT WINE. “
DARREN RATHBONE
YERING STATION
Yering Station was acquired by the Rathbone family in 1996, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the historic estate celebrated as Victoria's first vineyard and the birthplace of the Yarra Valley. In the years that followed, the family and their team elevated the estate's winemaking reputation while establishing a hospitality offering that has become one of the Yarra Valley’s most respected modern wine destinations.
MOUNT LANGI GHIRAN
The Rathbone family’s portfolio expanded in 2002 with the acquisition of Mount Langi Ghiran, an addition that deepened their commitment to Australia’s most distinctive cool-climate regions and iconic, legacy-led wines. Since acquisition, the family and their team have built on its strong foundations, honouring its legacy while steadily refining its expression of cool-climate Shiraz with clarity and intent.
XANADU
In 2005, the family portfolio grew with the acquisition of Xanadu. Drawn to the strength of Margaret River, the family recognised Xanadu’s potential as a natural complement to their growing benchmark of cool-climate estates. Today, Xanadu stands among Australia’s most acclaimed wineries, consistently recognised for its stand-out Cabernet and Chardonnay.
CHATEAU YERING
Lastly, the Chateau Yering wine label was established in 2017 as a proud expression of great Australian wine from our nation’s leading regions. These multi-regional wines are guided by a relentless pursuit of the finest parcels of fruit and winemaking excellence. Today, these wines are exclusively available in select independent retail and on premise venues.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
At Rathbone Family Wines, we are guided by a commitment to excellence, respect for legacy and a clear vision: producing benchmark Australian wines that stand the test of time. Across our teams, we also deeply champion learning and discovery as a continual pursuit. Refining our craft, challenging convention, celebrating innovation in all forms and never standing still in the making of great wine.
“ AND HERE’S THE THING WITH WINE. NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU LEARN, YOU JUST REALISE HOW MUCH MORE THERE IS TO UNDERSTAND. THE JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY AND KNOWLEDGE CONTINUES TO UNDERPIN OUR APPROACH TO THE BUSINESS. ”
DARREN RATHBONE
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Each of our wineries has earned its reputation through a consistent record of achievement and critical acclaim. Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon has proudly been awarded Australia’s most prestigious wine honour, the Jimmy Watson Trophy, as well as #1 Red Wine in the world by IWSC. Across the portfolio, Yering Station’s ‘Scarlett’ Pinot Noir, Mount Langi Ghiran’s Langi Shiraz and Xanadu’s ‘Stevens Road’ Cabernet Sauvignon have respectively received major trophies, gold medals and scores of up to 99 points from Halliday Wine Companion.
