Yangarra Ovitelli Blanc 2022

This is ultra dry and a bit reductive, all pebbles and smokes, chalk and nashi pear. Let’s call it savoury with edges of saltbush and smoke. It’s aromatic and honeyed, at least on the nose, but the palate is so daringly light and stony, the latter somehow in a textural way. For me, despite the leanness of flavour, it has presence. I’ve tasted this twice a few months apart and loved it on both occasions; I dare say that many/most will fall in GW’s camp. I just thought an alternate view was worth giving some air. Points: 94/100

The Wine Front ∙ 28th Jul 2024

Light to mid yellow/straw colour; the funky bouquet includes some vegetal and savoury undergrowth nunaces as well as some burnt matchstick. It's very savoury on palate, drying and textural, with fine tannins and a trace of finishing bitterness that doesn't mar it. A very good food wine, thanks to its structure and savouriness. Points: 92/100

The Real Review ∙ 18th Jul 2024

Gosh, this is an interesting wine loaded with interesting varieties. It’s grenache blanc, roussanne, picpoul, bourboulenc and clairette. A mix of ceramic eggs and whole bunch basket pressing, and skin contact before 4-month maturation in a ceramic egg. What you get is a beautiful fruit friendly wine of texture and layered complexity. A sprinkle of dried herbs and spices adds further complexity. So perfectly weighted. Points: 95/100

Wine Pilot ∙ 30th May 2024

Predominantly Grenache Blanc and Roussanne with additions of Grenache Gris, Bourboulenc and Clairette. All varieties were fermented in ceramic eggs and matured after blending for 4 months, 59% of the final blend was skin contact. Pomelo segments, white nectarine and cucumber jelly. Almond syrup, halva and soft coconut flesh. Poached pear, frangipani and jonquil. A lick of salt spray salinity and white tea tannins. Remarkable how these varieties manifest into such purity. This wine reminds me of Mexican limestone cenotes. It’s seemingly endless with crystal clear clarity and definition. Lemon zest unfurls on the finish. A suburb wine that attracts your attention and then captivates you in a beguiling stare. More wines like this, please, now and forever. Drink now with sliced pearl meat. Points: 97/100

Wine Pilot ∙ 23rd May 2024

A blend of 58/24/8/5/5% grenache blanc/roussanne/ grenache gris/bourboulenc/clairette. Some grenache and clairette on skins in concrete eggs for 120 days, the remainder whole-bunch pressed to egg; 59% skin contact in the final blend. Organic/biodynamic. The skin contact provides meaningful detail to this, but in a quiet way, gently tugging the palate with a pumice-like texture, shaving off overt fruitfulness and layering in savoury flavour. Dried pear, poached apple, quince, ground ginger, beeswax, lemon barely water and chamomile. It’ll be fascinating to watch this age, no doubt picking up honeyed tones, while that bedrock of artfully laid grape tannin will provide a moreish succulence for many years. Points: 96/100

James Halliday Wine Companion 2025, 7 August, 2024 ∙ 30th Apr 2024

Light straw-yellow hue. Ripe pear, almond meal and north African spices all show on the nose and palate. A savoury and delightful wine that glides and flows through all the corners of the mouth. Finely structured, both acid and tannins working their magic to ensure great length and focus. It's very intriguing and evolves in the glass. A wine that is built for matching with food. Points: 93/100

The Real Review ∙ 15th Feb 2024

A superb vintage for this, the finest iteration of Ovitelli Blanc thus far. Aromas of freshly made lemonade, herbal tea, salted quince and raw almonds, with a bitter kick of quinine at the finish. Full-bodied with just the right amount of pucker and a salty lick at the end. A brilliant expression that should age very well indeed. Drink or hold. Screw cap. Points: 95/100

JamesSuckling.com ∙ 15th Feb 2024

A blend of 58/24/8/5/5% grenache blanc/roussanne/ grenache gris/bourboulenc/clairette. Some grenache and clairette on skins in concrete eggs for 120 days, the remainder whole-bunch pressed to egg; 59% skin contact in the final blend. Organic/biodynamic. The skin contact provides meaningful detail to this, but in a quiet way, gently tugging the palate with a pumice-like texture, shaving off overt fruitfulness and layering in savoury flavour. Dried pear, poached apple, quince, ground ginger, beeswax, lemon barely water and chamomile. It’ll be fascinating to watch this age, no doubt picking up honeyed tones, while that bedrock of artfully laid grape tannin will provide a moreish succulence for many years. Points: 96/100

Halliday Wine Companion ∙ 14th Dec 1901