Yangarra Ovitelli Grenache 2021
We have 4 in stock (Inventory is live and accurate)
The Land
McLaren Vale built its reputation on dense, sun-soaked Shiraz, but some of Australia's most perfumed reds come from its sand. Yangarra Estate sits in the elevated northeast corner of the region, near Blewitt Springs, where deep, pale sand dunes lie over the North Maslin Sands formation: fine silica on top, ferruginous sandstone and clay below. Sand drains fast and stays cool, so Grenache grown in it ripens slowly and keeps its aromatics and its fine tannin. Ovitelli comes from Block 30, a single 2.0-hectare block of dry-grown bush vines planted in 1946, at 205 meters, right next to the estate's famed High Sands block. This is Grenache from McLaren Vale at its most transparent.
The Wine
Yangarra Ovitelli Grenache 2021 is 100 percent Grenache, hand-picked on March 24 and 25, berry-sorted, fully destemmed and crushed into 675-liter ceramic eggs, the ovitelli of the name. The wine fermented slowly in the eggs and then sat on its skins for 133 days, a full autumn of gentle extraction. No pressings were used. It aged 13 months in those same eggs, with no oak at any stage, and was bottled in June 2022 at 14.5 percent alcohol. Ceramic breathes like wood but adds no flavor, so the long skin contact builds texture without heaviness. Expect red cherry, raspberry, rose petal and dried herbs, a supple, tightly wound middle, and fine, chalky tannin. The 2021 season in McLaren Vale started on a par with the earliest on record, but a mild autumn slowed sugar ripening and produced a widely praised vintage.
The People
Jackson Family Wines bought the old Norman's Clarendon vineyard in 2001 and renamed it Yangarra, a word in the language of the Kaurna people meaning "from the earth." With it came a young winemaker, Peter Fraser, who would lead the estate for more than two decades as winemaker and general manager. Working with vineyard manager Michael Lane, Fraser first vinified the deep-sand Grenache separately in 2005 and spent the following years making the wines gentler: less new oak, larger vessels, more ceramic. Yangarra is certified organic and biodynamic by Australian Certified Organic, with sheep grazing the rows in winter and native creek corridors running through the vines. Fraser died in November 2025 at 51. Shelley Torresan, winemaker here since 2008, and Guillaume Camougrand now carry the work forward.
Food Pairing
Ovitelli has the perfume of Pinot Noir and the grip of something more serious. Roast leg of lamb studded with garlic and rosemary is the classic match; the wine's red fruit and fine tannin meet the herbs and the fat without overwhelming them. Duck breast with a cherry and star anise sauce picks up the spice and the cherry. A Provençal ratatouille baked under a crust of Gruyère plays to the dried-herb side. For something simpler, try a mushroom and thyme pizza with fontina, where the earthy toppings match the wine's savory depth. This is the Grenache to open for the friend who thinks Australian red means heavy.
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South Australia is home to many of the country’s most famous wine regions and accounts for nearly half of Australia’s total wine production. The Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale are known for their warm climates and powerful Shiraz, Grenache, and Cabernet Sauvignon, often grown on ancient soils. Clare Valley and Eden Valley offer cooler conditions at higher elevations, producing intensely aromatic Riesling and finely structured Shiraz. The Adelaide Hills, with its cool nights and varied aspects, excels with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. Coonawarra, farther south, is famous for Cabernet Sauvignon grown on its distinctive terra rossa soils over limestone.
Australia - South Australia
Grenache is a widely planted grape variety that thrives in its Mediterranean home. In Spain, it's known as Garnacha, where it reaches its peak in the Sierra de Gredos as a pure varietal wine, while also being a key blending component in Rioja. France's Southern Rhône, notably Châteauneuf-du-Pape, is another well-known region, where Grenache is often the base of a blended wine. Grenache also finds a home in Sardinia as Cannonau, and it has spread beyond its Mediterranean origins, most famously to Australia's Barossa Valley. The resulting wines are typically light in color, yet they possess a full body and flavor, displaying mature red fruit notes, herbal spices, and often a hint of orange peel, along with soft tannins and moderate acidity. It is an incredibly versatile grape, showing different expressions based on its terroir and the winemaking style employed.
Grenache
Certified Biodynamic vineyard farming is a holistic approach building upon organic principles, viewing the vineyard as a self-contained ecosystem influenced by cosmic rhythms. Based on Rudolf Steiner's teachings, it integrates precise agricultural methods with lunar and astrological calendars, using natural preparations from herbs, minerals, and manure to enhance soil and plant health. Certification by organizations like Demeter International requires rigorous inspections to ensure strict compliance. Biodynamic farming seeks not only high-quality wines but also ecological harmony, sustainability, and deeper connections among land, plants, animals, and humans.
