Grenache 'High Sands' McLaren Vale 2016

Anyone who thinks they are dealing only with a sales star is mistaken: they know neither the terroir of Kangarilla nor the masterful winemaking art of winemaker Peter Fraser. The deep ruby red color with purple reflections can be misleading at first glance. But just wait for the bouquet and the lucky taster will discover an amazing diversity that quickly takes over. A magical panoply of aromas emerges: herbs and spices such as lavender, star anise, vanilla, cinnamon and black pepper; fruity flavors such as raspberry, cherry, berry and ripe plum; woody balsamic notes of dark chocolate and cedar, not forgetting hints of leather, undergrowth, truffle... a real show! A bouquet that only the greatest wines in this world possess. On the palate, too, one never ceases to be amazed. The red wine shows an extraordinary balance between a deep fruity heart, ample tannins, a marked freshness and an important minerality. The finish is demanding, serious, infinite and concentrated. The Yangarra Grenache 'High Sands' McLaren Vale 2016 promises to have the potential to age for many years, even decades.

Yangarra Estate is a biodynamic wine farm in the McLaren Vale region in South Australia.

The Yangarra philosophy centres around producing wines solely from our single-vineyard estate, where our bush-vine Grenache is the keystone variety.

With our feet firm in history, and our eyes on the horizon, Yangarra Estate now exists to deliver the essence of this beautiful place to your glass.

McLaren Vale folks like to think that their region on the Gulf St Vincent, patron of viticulturers, has “the best Mediterranean climate on Earth.” 

With this foremost in mind, Yangarra Estate is devoted solely to producing wines from the best grape varieties of the southern Rhone, which lies on the north-west Mediterranean coast.

Yangarra’s combination of rare geologies, moderate altitude, abundant sunshine and cool evening breezes make it perfect for growing varieties that thrive in these moderate maritime environments.

Our respect of this special piece of country is evident in the wines we make from its grapes - every Yangarra Estate wine is a confident reflection of the nature of this land.

There were vineyards in the foothills near Yangarra Estate by 1850.

In 1862, Ebenezer Ward, the most colourful wine critic of his day, described one nearby vineyard as a “gigantic pyramid of verdure, its slopes and summit clothed with luxuriant vines”. These included “Temprana, Shiraz, Malbec, Carbonet, Mataro, Carignan and Grenache”. The Grenache was considered “especially valuable for its erect, self-supporting habit, its fecundity, and the richness of its must”.

A rival wine scribe of the day, Dr. Alex C. Kelly, wrote in 1867 that while “the two excellent white grapes of the Hermitage – Roussanne and Marsanne – have not been introduced into Adelaide, there is much for us to do in this matter, and it ought to be gone about without delay.”

Planting of the Yangarra Estate vineyards commenced in 1946, when the property was called Lalla Rookh – “love nest”.  In that year, Bernard Smart, who still lives on Yangarra with his wife, assisted his father plant the High Sands vineyard to unirrigated bush vine Grenache. They planted another vineyard adjacent in 1947, but that was enveloped and killed by drifting sand before it got the chance to properly establish.

For many years the fruit of the ‘46 planting was sought by local winemakers who used it to beef up wines from other smaller holdings across McLaren Vale.

In 2000, Jess Jackson and his wife Barbara Banke (proprietors of Jackson Family Wines) began investigating Australia’s potential for a world-class Shiraz and Grenache vineyard. A year later they purchased

Yangarra Estate, in awe of the priceless old bush vines which they knew would give the reborn Estate its gastronomic heart and soul.

The appointments of local men Peter Fraser, winemaker, and Michael Lane, viticulturer, completed the first stage of Jess Jackson’s visionary plan.

In the decade since, the vineyard has been revived and extended, the water-courses rejuvenated and planted to native vegetation, the state-of-the-art winery built and commissioned, and a cellar sales and tastings room opened.

With this evolution, the wines of Yangarra Estate have steadily gained respect and critical acclaim.

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