They’ve since got their hands on some of the first plantings of Rhone varieties like grenache blanc, picpoul blanc, bourboulenc, picpoul noir, clairette blanc and counoise. Varietals that thrive given the moderate altitude, plentiful sunshine and cool evening breezes reminiscent of moderate maritime Mediterranean conditions. But grenache is undoubtedly the hero of Yangarra. And their High Sands Grenache is arguably the best in Australia right now. Just over half of the 170-hectare property is planted to vine, with the remaining land dedicated to native vegetation and wildlife - driving the symbiotic relationship between the vines and their natural surroundings. The sensitive winemaking philosophies and biodynamic regenerative farming practices used at Yangarra yield wines with true reverence for the land. Yangarra’s wine making philosophy is driven by provenance, the sprawling vineyards are set amongst blooming natives, winding creeks and wild nature. It’s a special site in Blewitt Springs with beautiful old bush vines. 

Constant observation and an uncompromising attention to detail in the vineyard follows into the winery. Winemaker Pete Fraser, known for his sensitive approach to winemaking, responds to the nuance of each vintage. He was the brains behind the vineyard’s transformation to organic and biodynamic, and he works hard to preserve those natural characters with a simple but powerful ability to discern ‘when to’ and ‘when not to’ in the winery. He yields honest and confident wines with a strong sense of place. He draws on winemaking techniques of old, in pursuit of complexity, purity and mouthfeel - wild fermentation, amphoras, ceramic eggs, basket pressing and large format oak foudre, to name a few. They’re timeless wines, expressive of the location, true to varietal character, and anything but pedestrian.  Yangarra makes delicious accessible blends under $30, which we love, but the single vineyard allocation is what we stay for. Exciting, progressive winemaking with meticulous attention to detail.