2019 Yangarra - Grenache Ovitelli
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Tasting notes
Full bottle 1,613 g – far too heavy from Jackson Family Wines, a co-founder of International Wineries for Climate Action. From a single, dry-farmed block of bush vines planted in 1946 on weathered sands. Transparent garnet. Very sweet, candified fruit on the nose. But there is depth to it too. As with the white version, the acidity and grainy texture is pronounced but not too much so. This is really charming and refreshing. Very dry finish. Very appetising. You could drink this with or without food and at almost any temperature, but I'd strongly recommend a light chill. Light tannins. (JR)
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
From vines planted in 1946, the 2019 Ovitelli Grenache fermented in 675-liter ceramic eggs and stayed on the skins for another 158 days post-fermentation. Free-run juice was then returned to eggs for another five months of maturation (no press wine is utilized). The result is a medium-ruby wine with extraordinary aromas of red raspberries and cherries, laced with delicate strands of garrigue, wild roses and black tea. Medium-bodied and silky-textured, it's drying yet mouthwatering at the same time on the prolonged finish, an intriguing paradox that prompts sip after sip. It's the best vintage of Ovitelli that I've tasted to date.
About the producer
One of the leading names in Australian wine, managed today by Peter Fraser, Yangarra farms its 90 hectares of vines biodynamically. The McLaren Vale estate works with Rhône varieties and is best known for its outstanding Grenache, the top botting of which is its High Sands cuvée.