2014 Yangarra High Sands Grenache

97 POINTS

Jane Faulkner - Halliday Wine Companion

Fruit off Block 31 from the highest section - 210m and the deepest sand for the ?46 planted bush vines. 50% whole berries, wild yeast and on lees in used French oak for 1 year. No need for winemaking accoutrements - a pure expression of that discrete spot. Perfectly modulated, the tannins enmeshed with the fruit from whence they came, excellent fruit yet the most savoury and earthy toned and deepest of the three Grenaches.

97 POINTS

Erin Larkin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2014 Grenache High Sands is bloody, floral and ferruginous. The palate is sapid, ample and wide, with great nuance. The season was hot, but the wine is energetic and fresh and has such tannic presence in the mouth. This is a super wine. This is proof, along with the 2011 (cold and wet) that it is a mistake to write off vintages, especially in the case of a single-vineyard wine, when one would do well to consider vintage variation merely as a lens through which to view the vineyard DNA. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

96 POINTS

Gary Walsh - The Wine Front

Beautiful fragrance here – fresh field roses, raspberry, aniseed and dried mint, almost a chocolate thing going on too. Medium bodied, gentle sweep of sweet fine grained tannin, plump red berries lend succulence, but it’s not confected or gooey in any sense. Dusty and spicy, great length of flavour, with earthy tannin grounding it and pushing it long. Incredibly good wine. Hard to choose between the 2013 and 2014. The former with maybe more length and impact, the latter all grace and charm. 96+ points, though could even twist my arm to 97.

95 POINTS

Toni Paterson MW - The Real Review

Winemaker Peter Fraser has crafted a serious, structured, aromatically captivating grenache, of a style rarely seen in Australia, with intense red and black fruits and a complex tannin profile. It is made from old vines grown in white/grey sand and undergoes meticulous berry sorting before a wild fermentation; the result being a wine with great purity and clarity. Alluring, charming florals are gradually unveiled as the wine sits in the glass, and the progression of flavour is simply outstanding. Sweet-fruited, tight, concentrated and bright. Needs some time, but the patient will be amply rewarded

95 POINTS

Steve Leszczynski - QWine Reviews

Give this some time to catch its breath and it sings harmoniously. Hoisin and soy slide underneath dark berry fruits and subtle dried herb nuances. Aromas of purple flowers continue to shine with a gorgeous profile moving with ease through the mouth. Waves of fine spices roll through freely with fruit and acid perfectly balanced. Elegant and precise perhaps summarise this best. Wow!

95 POINTS

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2014 Grenache High Sands has a medium garnet-purple color and opens with the most incredible perfume of violets, black forest cake and mulberries with hints of star anise, underbrush, tapenade and cloves plus a waft of Sichuan pepper. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is densely packed with berry, earth and spice layers, supported by firm grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length.

95 POINTS

Huon Hooke - The Real Review

Deep red colour with a good purple tint; the bouquet is sweetly ripe and berry-like, with some seaspray-like notes. The palate is rich and deep, opulent and flavoursome, with charm and character. It's very intense, powerful, concentrated and long on the finish. The tannins are ample and firm, and oak is beautifully handled and under-played. A superb, luxurious wine.

95 POINTS

Huon Hooke - The Real Review

Deep red colour with a good purple tint; the bouquet is sweetly ripe and berry-like, with some seaspray-like notes. The palate is rich and deep, opulent and flavoursome, with charm and character. It's very intense, powerful, concentrated and long on the finish. The tannins are ample and firm, and oak is beautifully handled and under-played. A superb, luxurious wine. (Biodynamic. Grown on sand. Hand-picked, destemmed, berry-sorted, 50% crushed, wild fermented, aged on lees in 1 and 2 YO French oak. Unfined. 3336 bottles)