Jess Jackson and his wife, Barbara Banke, set out to find the perfect place in Australia to grow Rhône grape varieties, and in 2001 they discovered Yangarra Estate in McLaren Vale. Their goal was not only ideal terroir but also a winemaker who would craft expressive Rhône-style wines. They found that craftsman in Peter Fraser, who focuses on preserving the natural character of the grape in every wine.
The name Yangarra, which means “from the earth,” refers to a property that included an exceptional asset: 40 acres planted with 66-year-old Grenache bush vines. Old bush vines yield very little — often barely a half-ton per acre compared with much higher yields from younger plantings — but the grapes they produce are intensely concentrated, providing rich, nuanced flavors. Those qualities are evident in the Yangarra Grenache 2007, a bright, lightly peppered wine with lively acidity.
Yangarra Shiraz 2009 offers balanced black-fruit notes and a round, full body. Shiraz/Syrah expresses itself differently depending on region: in places where it is called Syrah, such as parts of France, the variety tends to present spicier, peppered notes, Mediterranean fruit profiles and more pronounced texture. In Australia, where it is typically labeled Shiraz, the wine often shows fuller body, black pepper, deep black-fruit tones and softer, rounder tannins.
When Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre are blended, the result is Yangarra’s Cadenzia 2007. The three grapes play complementary roles: Grenache brings perfume and acidity, Shiraz contributes body with plum and cherry tones, and Mourvèdre supplies tannin and savory, herbal elements. The name Cadenzia is derived from “cadenza,” a musical flourish where a soloist improvises beyond the written score; similarly, several McLaren Vale producers interpret the Grenache-led blend in distinct, individual ways.
In 2006 Yangarra introduced High Sands Grenache Reserve, a limited-release wine made only in exceptional years from the lowest-yielding blocks. Early tastings of the first High Sands, at around six years of age, revealed a wine with intense flavor, velvety texture and a long, persistent finish.
Today Yangarra’s vineyards are certified biodynamic, supporting the production of concentrated, site-driven fruit that the Jacksons sought. Under Peter Fraser’s stewardship, those grapes are turned into wines that truly reflect their origin — wines that live up to the estate’s name, “from the earth.”