May, 2025
Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion
From original '46 vines next to the High Sands block. The '23 grenache wines are very pale in the glass, and they are all a degree lighter in alcohol due to the cool year (one I love). A vintage like this really illustrates the kinship with the avant-garde grenache of Gredos, and with Barbaresco, and refined Etna Rosso (Girolamo Russo in particular), rather than almost anything from the Rhône. Savoury, dried red fruits, cranberry, cherry and redcurrant, warm terracotta, bergamot, potpourri, sumac, ground cinnamon, star anise, so tightly coiled, but also tensile, finely expansive in its flavour delivery. There's tension aplenty, and it promises to unfurl over a long life. Superb.
— 97 points
January, 2025
Ryan Montgomery, JamesSuckling.com
Pale in appearance. The nose gives lifted aromas of wild strawberries, raspberries, sweet spices and orange peel. The palate is medium-bodied with finely integrated tannins and bright acidity, giving notes of dark cherries, dried herbs and cocoa. Exceptionally lifted and fresh. Drink or hold.
— 97 points
June, 2025
Tom Kline, Winepilot
Another McLaren Vale Grenache that elicits excitement for the grape and place. This is impressive in its balance of brightness and perfume while still wonderfully cerebral and complex. Lifted aromas of sweet raspberry compote, macerated strawberry and red liquorice lead before a cut of white pepper spice acts as a savoury foil. Very pretty and seductively perfumed. There's a warm sand note beneath which is a common note of high quality modern day McLaren Vale Grenache (almost too obvious a note given the sandy soils) some dried garrigue adding further savouriness, dried cranberry, black tea. There's a distinct riverstone minerality shooting through its centre, too. This is very pretty, though not at the expense of immense depth and intrigue. The palate is racy, mineral, cool and lifted with pretty pops of raspberry, red apple flesh, cranberry, and red rose crunched within a vein of powder-coated tannins and fresh acidity with the sand and dried herb notes lingering beneath. The finish is long and crunchy with red apple skin tension and red liquorice appeal. An ethereal Ovitelli Grenache from the cool 2023 vintage.
— 96 points
May, 2025
Erin Larkin, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The 2023 Ovitelli Grenache is a marvel. The wine leads with orange peel and sarsaparilla, fennel, licorice and crushed shell. In the mouth, the tannins are sandy and very fine yet pervasive. They coat the mouth like a good Etna Rosso and give the fruit something to work with. This is bloody and gritty yet gossamer fine ... chalky doesn't quite cover it. I find this very exciting; the length really nails home the power and prowess of the region through the lens of this variety. The grapes are 100% destemmed, crushed and tipped into Clayver ceramic eggs with gentle hand plunging. The fruit remained on the skins post ferment for seven months, and no pressings were used in the wine. This matured in ceramic egg for a total of eleven months (no oak) and remained in bottle for a year prior to release. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
— 96 points
May, 2025
Ray Jordan, Winepilot
Brilliant Grenache which comes from a block adjacent to the High Sands block and planted in 1946. It's made using ceramic eggs with hand plunging and extended time on skins. In the end no pressings were added and no oak used. Has a thoroughly delightful mouthfeel.
