On 1 May 2026, we release the 52nd vintage of The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz, with the 2023 vintage dedicated to a man whose words have shaped the wine’s legacy for more than three decades: Peter Sawrey.

Each year, The Signature honours an individual who has made a profound contribution to Yalumba’s culture and traditions. Personally chosen by fifth-generation proprietor Robert Hill-Smith and announced at the annual staff Christmas lunch on the lawns of Yalumba, the Signatory becomes part of a lineage etched into the fabric of the winery.

For 33 years, Sawrey has been the voice behind that lineage.

Since 1994, he has written the back label story for every vintage of The Signature; interviewing each Signatory, distilling their character and contribution, and translating Yalumba’s history into the words that travel with every bottle around the world. His storytelling has become as intrinsic to The Signature as the blend itself.

“An authentic wine must have an authentic recipient, and the 2023 wine is a ripper,” said Hill-Smith. “The Signatory dedication is an important tradition for our family business. It is wonderful to see it grow within our company, with the wine trade, and with people drinking The Signature around the world.”

In announcing Sawrey, Hill-Smith described him as “someone whose connection with this very label goes back a long way.”

Sawrey joined Yalumba in 1988, contributing across events and marketing, and quickly became a custodian of the brand’s narrative. It was in 1994 that Hill-Smith first asked him to interview Peter “PJ” Wall for the back label of the 1990 vintage. What followed was more than three decades of conversations, beginning with “PJ”, then Mark Hill-Smith, Eddy Waechter and every Signatory since, creating a written archive of Yalumba’s people and progress.

“It started with “PJ” Wall for the 1990 vintage,” Sawrey reflected. “Then Mark in 1991, then Eddy in 1992, and before I knew it, we were in a rhythm.”

That rhythm became ritual. Even after retiring from Yalumba in 2009, Sawrey was invited to write The Signature’s back label, ensuring each vintage carried not only a name, but a story.

On being named the 2023 Signatory, Sawrey said, “I am moved. I have dreamt about this day. I have enjoyed writing the stories of Yalumba’s Signatories all these years, and now I look forward to writing my own!”

Yalumba Head Winemaker Sam Wigan described the 2023 vintage as “a very stylish and elegant Signature, beautifully structured with precision on the palate.”

“The 2023 growing season was cool and mild, with slow and steady ripening, delivering concentrated fruit purity and lovely natural acidity,” said Wigan. “There’s an alluring floral nuance with sage and liquorice notes. The palate shows layers of coffee, blue fruits and spice with long, flowing tannins, enjoyable now and destined for graceful ageing.”

With the 2023 release, the storyteller becomes the story, a fitting tribute to the man whose words have defined The Signature for a generation.

Learn More about the 2023 Release