Yelland & Papps Barossa Valley Blanc 2023

Do you get the feeling that Roussanne – a Rhône Valley white grape – is having a moment in Oz? I certainly do. It is increasingly leaving its partnership with Marsanne to stand alone. Blanc is 100% Roussanne from the Barossa Valley, treated just a little differently to the norm with fermentation in French oak and, as you will see from the slightly hazy golden colour, minimal added sulphur. Winemaking brings out a savouriness and a complexity that is quite compelling. Expect heady floral aromas in honeysuckle and acacia with baked apple, pear and a whisper of beeswax. Opens with a flourish of high tone exotic notes of Asian pear, quince, apple, green almonds, lemongrass and ginger. Warm, textural, richly embroidered and just a little to the left of centre, it lasts long.