2023 Yangarra Ovitelli Blanc, McLaren Vale

55/17/17/7/4% grenache blanc/grenache gris/roussanne/clairette/bourboulenc. Some grenache blanc and roussanne was fermented on skins for around seven months (47% of the finished blend). The remaining fruit was basket pressed. Texture. For me, it’s the defining point of this wine. Oh, I love the hard-to-pin-down flavours that drift through orchard fruits and citrus, suggest a piney and briny herbal note – like a sea breeze gliding through a cypress tree – and are further complexed with a hint of cracked fennel seed and white pepper. But it’s the texture that really elevates this, the frisson of pumiceous (it’s a word …) grip and succulent fruit, the sapid, mineral/tonic quality, the elegant tensioning, fine-tuned to perfection. What a delight.

97 points Special Value Marcus Ellis MW winecompanion.com.au

The nose is aromatic, expressing notes of peaches, mandarin confit, green papayas and honeydew melon. The palate is textural and rounded with bright acidity, giving notes of Meyer lemons, dried herbs, chamomile tea, apple skin and sea salt. A very complex blend of 56% grenache blanc, 17% grenache gris, 17% roussanne, 7% clairette and 3% bourboulenc that sat in clay eggs on the skins for five months. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

95 points jamessuckling.com

Drawn from biodynamically farmed estate vineyards on the iron rich sands of Blewitt Springs, this Rhône inspired white is one of the most distinctive blends coming out of McLaren Vale. Yangarra has built its reputation on Mediterranean varieties, and Ovitelli Blanc is a deep exploration of texture, savoury detail and vineyard expression. The blend of 55 percent Grenache Blanc, 17 percent Grenache Gris, 17 percent Roussanne, 7 percent Clairette and 4 percent Bourboulenc is fermented and matured in ceramic eggs, allowing purity of fruit and gentle lees texture without oak influence. The result is a wine that feels sculptural and layered, shaped as much by farming and vessel as by grape variety.

The Blewitt Springs sands bring natural finesse and aromatic lift, while biodynamic farming emphasises vitality and balance in the vineyard. Picking decisions focus on freshness and phenolic ripeness rather than sugar weight, preserving energy in a wine that could easily tip into heaviness. The ceramic élevage builds a creamy mid palate while keeping the finish tight and mineral.

In the glass it shows pale straw with silver flashes. Aromas are complex and savoury, opening with pear, quince and preserved lemon, followed by chamomile, almond, fennel and a faint herbal spice. There is a stony, saline edge that gives lift beneath the richer fruit tones.

The palate is medium to full bodied and textural, with orchard fruit wrapped in a waxy, mouth filling feel balanced by bright acidity. Flavours move from citrus peel and stone fruit into nutty and savoury notes, finishing long, dry and mineral. The ceramic ageing gives a rounded shape without softness, preserving tension and drive.

It pairs beautifully with roast chicken, pork, seafood, Mediterranean vegetables and dishes built around olive oil and herbs. Drinking impressively now with air, it will cellar comfortably for six to ten years, gaining honeyed and nutty complexity while holding its savoury spine.

This is a modern Australian Rhône white with serious intent, layered, textural and deeply connected to place.