“Grenache with Panache” -  Christina Pickard Wine Enthusiast Magazine

"Perhaps one of the greatest cheerleaders of the area’s Grenache is the team behind Yangarra Estate Vineyard"

In the August issue of Wine Enthusiast magazine, Christina Pickard features Yangarra in her article “Grenache with Panache”

"Perhaps one of the greatest cheerleaders of the area’s Grenache is the team behind Yangarra Estate Vineyard, owned by California’s Jackson Family Wines. The winery has nearly 250 acres of biodynamically farmed bush vines that consist of Mediterranean and Rhône varieties.

Peter Fraser, winemaker and general manager at Yangarra, describes the Blewitt Springs tannins as “fine and gritty,” and “somewhat angular and crunchy when young.”

Yangarra’s oldest Grenache vines sit at the top of the estate. These bushy, gnarled beauties were planted in 1946 and are grown on what appears to be a powdery sand dune of ancient white Aeolian sands. They consist of almost 100% silica, with just a small amount of organic matter.

This site, Fraser says, yields the estate’s most opulent Grenache. It produces Yangarra’s Old Vine Grenache as well as the High Sands Grenache, a top bottling that’s complex, mineral-driven and delicate yet impactful."

95 Yangarra 2016 Ovitelli Grenache (McLaren Vale).
This is the second release of this wine, sourced from the estate’s old bush vines and fermented on skins in large ceramic eggs. The nose is a complex medley of aromas like dried rose petals, brambly red berries, mushrooms, damp earth and what seems like a whole garden of herbs. Texturally, it’s like chalk dust, sliced with laser-sharp acidity and wound with tight-grained tannins. A tightrope walk of power and elegance, the bright, juicy fruit and savory, mineral nuances flow right through to the finish. Drink 2020–2030. Cellar Selection. —C.P.

July 22nd 2019 | 0 Comments | Tags: wine, grenache, mclaren vale, vineyard, biodynamic, peter fraser, organic, yangarra