Yangarra Roux Beaute 2023

McLaren Vale Roussanne is not normally a hero, but this is different. Half the blend of this spends seven months on skins, the rest ‘just’ whole bunch pressed into ceramic eggs. It’s a real mouthful of a win too – golden yellow, with a waxy red aple flourish, some oxidative cloudy apple juice and mothball skinsy wildness and then the red apple intensity crashes on through. Smash! Bang! There’s an almond meal creaminess here too, just in case the ‘more layers of flavour’ mode isn’t enough. I kept thinking about Jura Savagnin, but from a warm place (and tasting like red apples). No, it’s not an easy wine, but a boatload of charisma and intensity. A great release of this wine. Points: 94/100

ozwinereview.com ∙ 10th Jul 2025

100% Roussanne taken from Yangarra’s oldest Roussanne planting. 46% of the final blend was fermented on skins and remained on skins for around 7 months before pressing with only the free run juice retained. The other portion was whole bunch basket pressed into ceramic and fermented without skins. The final blend was exclusively matured in ceramic for a further 4 months. This is what I refer to as a ‘journey wine’. It takes you on a ride as it unfolds and shapeshifts in the glass with each version an improvement on the last. It’s an embarrassment of riches when it comes to complexity. This opens with sweet pops of honeysuckle and orange blossom before a savoury cut through of green almond and pistachio. Time in the glass reveals white peach, subtle dried apricot and orange peel tea along with a saline twang of pickled vegetables, some herbaceous sage leaf and a suggestion of white pepper. There’s an underlay of leesy complexity adding to the smorgasbord of character, too. A classy display. The palate is at once powerful and restrained with a lovely bite of preserved lemon teaming up with green almond to bring bitter appeal alongside Meyer lemon, pear and orange oil. The phenolics are febrile and pithy, holding sway and constricting the palate as it all carries to very long and detailed length. A phenomenal release. Points: 97/100

Wine Pilot ∙ 28th Jun 2025

Cracking wine. So much flavour, so much character, so much length. Shell grit, stonefruit, pear, lemon, sage, vanilla pod and mineral, all set with a textural framework that is slippery and svelte but not creamy and/or overdone. This is a white wine of both energy and presence. It’s a banger. Points: 95/100

The Wine Front ∙ 12th Jun 2025

Predominantly from the oldest roussanne planting, a 1ha block, with a small parcel (15%) from younger vines for fragrance. The compression of power is becoming a key feature of what is one of Australia’s finest white wines. It’s refreshing to see the varietal hegemony of the usual suspects being consistently challenged. This, from a celebrated cool year, is at the start of a long and promising journey, somewhat shy, but layered with interest. Green almond, pear, pickled peach, pineapple quince, lemon balm, mint, young sage, oyster shell and a rocky, pumice-like mineral note, which is echoed by the ultrafine pithiness of the palate. It’s another superb release, but it’s one that needs a little time to settle into its long stride. Points: 97/100

Halliday Wine Companion ∙ 9th May 2025

The 2023 Roussanne Roux Beaute is a wine of the vintage. This lacks the variety's characteristic weight and density. The 2023 has a lighter expression with melon and citrus aromas lifted by subtle chamomile nuances. This is acid-driven with a linear texture. Its best years will be down the track after building some bottle age complexity.  Points: 92/100

Vinous ∙ 23rd Apr 2025