Yangarra Old Vine Grenache 2023

Blewitt Springs is sandy, it’s dusty and the Grenache from here reflects that. There’s a reason that Grenache lovers enjoy the wines from here. This is from dry grown bush vines planted in 1946, destemmed and 50% crushed, 50% kept whole berry, wild yeast ferment. Aged in oak, egg and amphora and certified biodynamic. Fragrant, dusty and full of chalky tannins, with crunchy acidity and fine-boned structure. On the nose, redcurrant, blackberry, red dust, dried lavender, rose petals and chunks of aniseed jube. A salty lick of red plum and a hint of sundried tomato. The palate reeks of spice and prickles with life, like firecrackers across the palate. Acid is lifted and full of energy, while the tannins stretch out across the palate – long, reed-like and nimble. The fruit has plenty of fine, porcelain tannins and a grumble of graphite-like minerality. It’s got a red liquorice juby character but stops short of being confectionery. A wine to wake you up and keep your back straight. Layered complexity but plenty of subtle elegance with a bit of wild, unbrushed hair. A real savoury finish and salted liquorice dusty finish make this infinitely moreish and compelling. Just yum. Good length too. A bargain of a wine for this price. Points: 95/100

Wine Pilot ∙ 29th Mar 2025

Perfumed and complex aromas of wild raspberries, potpourri, orange rind and dried herbs. The palate is medium- to full-bodied with vibrant acidity and fine tannins, giving notes of boysenberries, red licorice, blackberry bush and violets. A very complete wine made from old bush vines planted in 1946. Exceptional. Drink or hold. Screw cap. Points: 95/100

jamessuckling.com ∙ 27th Dec 2024

It feels nervy at first but it quickly settles and even before it has, a net of tannin has expanded and taken control. This grenache, even as it prances and skits, knows that it’s going to be good. It shows raspberry, cranberry and pomegranate characters, pippy and fruity, light and not light, a fish that can fly across the surface even as it dives for the deep. There’s a cleanliness to this wine but not a sterility; it presents its character in fresh, clean, intertwined lines. At $50 this wine remains a gift; intricacy of fruit, tannin and texture of this nature is rarely within such reach. Points: 95/100

The Wine Front ∙ 20th Nov 2024

Serious Grenache lovers need to buy two of these - one held in each hand as you skip down the street. What a beauty we have here. Quality Grenache possesses a long and slowly drying tannin structure and you get the whole box and dice here. The fruit is in mint condition with plenty of depth and complexity to boot. Wonderfully balanced, the shape and cut of the wine exude class. Delicate spices seemingly tip-toe about. An excellent expression of the variety and then some. Points: 95/100

Qwine ∙ 2nd Sep 2024

From the estate’s 1946-planted bush vines. Half whole berries, half crushed, with gentle pump overs and extended maceration on some parcels up to seven months; matured in older French puncheons, foudre, ceramic eggs and amphorae. This is quite a different wine to the 2022. That’s a tale of two seasons. Both cool, but the buttress of natural tannin in the 2022 is commanding and it is more compressed, needing time. This is prettily lifted, with cherry, cranberry, rosehip, dried orange peel, wild raspberry and red florals. It’s a gloriously fine and elegant expression of this cuvée, but it has tannic drive, line and length, savouriness, flavour depth and detail. Excellent. Points: 96/100

Halliday Wine Companion ∙ 8th Aug 2024