97 points – “55/17/17/7/4% grenache blanc/grenache gris/roussanne/clairette/bourboulenc. Some grenache blanc and roussanne was fermented on skins for around seven months (47% of the finished blend). The remaining fruit was basket pressed. Texture. For me, it’s the defining point of this wine. Oh, I love the hard-to-pin-down flavours that drift through orchard fruits and citrus, suggest a piney and briny herbal note – like a sea breeze gliding through a cypress tree – and are further complexed with a hint of cracked fennel seed and white pepper. But it’s the texture that really elevates this, the frisson of pumiceous (it’s a word …) grip and succulent fruit, the sapid, mineral/tonic quality, the elegant tensioning, fine-tuned to perfection. What a delight.” – Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)

95 points – “The nose is aromatic, expressing notes of peaches, mandarin confit, green papayas and honeydew melon. The palate is textural and rounded with bright acidity, giving notes of Meyer lemons, dried herbs, chamomile tea, apple skin and sea salt. A very complex blend of 56% grenache blanc, 17% grenache gris, 17% roussanne, 7% clairette and 3% bourboulenc that sat in clay eggs on the skins for five months. Drink or hold. Screw cap.” – Ryan Montgomery (JamesSuckling.com)

95 points - "This is a blend of Grenache Blanc with small contributions from Grenache Gris, Roussanne, Clairette and Bourboulenc, all of which were hand-picked and each going through slightly different processes before the final blend. Has a bright and spicy aroma with traces of lemon rind and fresh cream before a highly textured mouthfeel with tremendous length. So well balanced and already showing a layered complexity." - Ray Jordan (Wine Pilot)

95 points - "Here we have a wine made up of 55% Grenache Blanc, 17% Grenache Gris, 17% Roussanne, 7% Clairette and 4% Bourboulenc. All handpicked and sorted separately. Portions of the Grenache Blanc and Roussanne saw an average of 7 months on skins in Clayver ceramic egg, with a total of 47% of the final blend having seen skin contact. The remainder was basket pressed. This is a textural delight while still feeling finespun with a masterful balance of flavour and structure, and any hint of overtness swept into linearity by architectural structure. Baked peach, poached apple and pastry dough make way for a twang of saline preserved lemon, bosc pear, greengage, cinnamon spice and fig leaf. Some hazelnut and tonic notes emerge with air adding further dimension around the fruit. There’s breadth and delicate richness here, but also lovely freshness. The palate is mouth-filling and textural with a lovely cut of tensile white fruit in white nectarine and bosc pear before yielding to yellow apple, cinnamon and nectarine with a firm sheath of powdery preserved lemon phenolics providing good frame and carry to long length. The nutty nuance dancing in the mouth perfume. An excellent release." - Tom Kline (Wine Pilot)

93 points – “The 2023 Ovitelli Blanc is a blend of Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Roussanne, Clairette and Bourboulenc. This is quite enchanting in a finer, detailed style as it builds aromas of citrus, honeysuckle and acacia. The 2023 is fresh and composed with some serious acidity which is well matched to layers of tight flavor, accented by an attractive bite of skin tannins before building into a long, seamless finish. This confident release was enhanced by the cooler growing season.” – Angus Hughson (Vinous)

92 points – “Enticing aromas of wheat puff, baked apple, sweet pastry, nectarine, cooked orange and white flowers. Textured, creamy, mouth-filling and layered. Stone-fruit and nuts, mealy and creamy in flavour. The acidity is snappy and precise and there’s some decent phenolic kick on the finish.” – Aaron Brasher (The Real Review)

Inspired by the textural white wines of the Southern Rhône, Ovitelli Blanc brings these traditional varieties together in blended harmony. Grenache Blanc and Roussanne gently fermented and aged with skin contact in large ceramic eggs.

2023 VINTAGE SUMMARY

The growing season began with significantly higher than average rainfall. The cool, wet conditions continued through Spring, setting us up for balanced canopies and lower yields. La Niña weather patterns forecasted cooler temperatures and continued rainfall for harvest. We were able to enhance vineyard practices such as shoot thinning and leaf removal to promote airflow, reduce mildew and increase sun exposure to bunches. From our experience, a cold vintage in a warm region can produce some of the best wines. Due to the cultural practices implemented, we were able to pick the majority of the vineyard in a three-week window prior to Easter, completed in early April. Wines produced from this vintage will be some of the prettiest and most delicate from the Estate.

WINEMAKING

55% Grenache Blanc, 17% Grenache Gris, 17% Roussanne, 7% Clairette and 4% Bourboulenc. All varieties hand-picked and sorted separately. Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris and Roussanne picked on the 26th of March and Clairette and Bourboulenc on the 18th of April. Portions of the Grenache Blanc and Roussanne destemmed and crushed to ceramic egg and macerated on skins for an extended period, averaging 7 months. The remaining batches were whole bunch basket pressed, and only the very lightest pressings are kept separate to be considered for the final blend. These are un-fined, unsettled and fermented exclusively in ceramic. No sulphur is added until the completion of fermentation or the extended skin contact portions are removed from skins. Matured in ceramic after blending for a further 4 months. 47% of the final blend was skin contacted. Bottled March 2024. Certified Organic/Biodynamic.