Yangarra Roux Beauté 2016

94 POINTS

James Suckling

Beautiful power and refinement here. This has a stony edge to the nose with flavors of pears and pear skin. Months on skins have added mellow and nutty grip to the palate. This will be fascinating as an aged wine. Drink or hold.

94 POINTS

James Halliday - Halliday's Wine Companion

Estate-grown 13yo vines, 50% foot-stomped and fermented in a 675l ceramic egg, remaining on skins for 160 days before pressing, 50% also fermented in a ceramic egg without skins, the final blend resulting in 60% extended skin contact, 40% without skins. It's incredible that so little evidence of wild, way out winemaking has produced a bright straw-green wine, that truly tastes of roussanne, a non-aromatic variety. The only sign is a touch of heat or ginger (I don't know which) that flickers every now and then.

94 POINTS

Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front

Grown biodynamically. 50% fermented on skins in two ceramic eggs, 50% fermented in ceramic eggs but not on skins. Final blend is 60% of the extended skin contact egg portion. Bottled unfined. 250-ish dozen made. Beautiful white wine. It crackles, it floats and it charms. Spice, florals, stone fruit and mineral. There’s grip to the finish but it doesn’t gather; it’s exquisitely well pitched and balanced. A class. Heady with florals but taut and controlled.

90 POINTS

Joe Czerwinski - Wine Advocate

I'm afraid this is one of those wines that sounds cooler than it tastes. The 2016 Roux Beaute Roussanne is made in ceramic eggs, 60% had 137 days of skin contact, the other 40% was made traditionally. So, what's the issue? It tastes disappointingly normal. There are pretty pineapple aromas, hints of black tea and citrus, a medium-bodied palate with surprisingly little phenolic grip, and a pleasant, lingering finish. As long as you don't go in expecting something orange, phenolic and funky, you'll be pleased.

90 POINTS

Christina Pickard - Wine Enthusiast

Yangarra's third vintage of Roussanne aged in concrete egg is a distinctive bottling that shows the purity of the variety. It's pale yellow in hue, and the nose is perfumed like lavender hand soap, grilled pineapple and ginger. There's a purity of fruit and acidity on the palate, amid a rich, creamy texture and streaks of salty mineral nuances. Don't make the mistake of drinking this too cold—just a quick cooldown in the fridge is all it needs. Drink or hold.

Wine Spectator

Honey-scented pear and pineapple notes are smooth, with an appealing thread of acidity weaving in and out through the rich texture. Spicy finish. Drink now. 255 cases made, 100 cases imported.

Huon Hooke - The Real Review

Light to medium yellow colour. Smoky sulfides drive the bouquet, which is complex and meaty. The palate is medium to full-bodied and very savoury, with phenolics adding to the texture and providing a slight cleansing bitterness on the finish. It's all about the texture. A food wine.