The Australian wine industry is shocked and saddened by the passing of Yangarra Estate winemaker and general manager Peter Fraser, respected and beloved as one of the leading lights in progressive Australian winemaking.
Fraser, 51, was found dead at the scene of a fire at his home in Clarendon on 27 November.
His list of achievements is long and prestigious, including Australian Winemaker of the Year in 2015 and twice winning Halliday Australian Wine of the Year (for the 2016 High Sands Grenache in 2020 and the 2021 Old Vine Grenache in 2024 – making Yangarra the only winery to win this award twice for the same variety). He was also included this year in the Drinks Business Top 100 Global Winemakers.
Fraser applied keen intelligence to his winemaking, working with precision and accuracy in the winery, although in essence he was a painstaking farmer who knew his vines, soils and region in intricate detail. Visiting Fraser at Yangarra would inevitably lead to him driving you to all parts of the estate, to examine soils and the health of ancient vines, then check on new vine plantings and grafts of superior clones that would influence future vintages.
His understanding of terroir propelled Yangarra onto the world stage as a winery of excellence.
Winemaking career
The son of chicken farmers in McLaren Vale, he graduated from the University of Adelaide as a winemaker in 1994, before working at Woodstock Wines in McLaren Vale, then St Hallett Wines in the Barossa. He also worked vintages in Spain – at Villa Robledo in La Mancha – before returning to McLaren Vale, becoming chief winemaker at Norman’s Winery by the age of 26.
When Jackson Family Wines from California bought Norman’s Clarendon vineyard in 2001 and renamed it Yangarra Estate, they employed Fraser as winemaker to oversee their investment.
From 2005, Fraser took the brave step of reserving a component of Yangarra’s already successful Old Vine Grenache, isolating fruit from the estate’s High Sands block in the Blewett Springs sub-region, to produce McLaren Vale’s first elite single-site Grenache wine. It pre-empted a movement that now sees a score of single-vineyard wines from neighbouring Blewett Springs sites that are also celebrated among the world’s best Grenache expressions.
Only a week ago, Fraser hosted Decanter with a select group of media to taste through a retrospective vertical tasting of Yangarra’s High Sands Grenache from 2010 to 2024, serving as a mesmerising tribute to the careful refinement of this distinctive single-site wine.
‘I always knew this vineyard was something special. I knew I had something that everybody else wanted – and that’s why I have loved every moment of working here,’ he said with a modest smile at the retrospective tasting.
The tasting demonstrated clearly that his sublime talent and attention to detail was continuing to rise, with the 2024 vintage showing exceptional poise; its elegant, delicate bouquet is matched by a palate alive with lithe fruit and vitality.
Such an achievement underlined Fraser’s perfectionist streak, which drove him to take decisive steps in vineyard improvement. He was a leader in biodynamic viticulture, taking Yangarra through certification in 2007, and believed firmly in its impact on vine health and wine quality.
He was also innovative in the winery, maturing elite fruit parcels in ceramic eggs and concrete amphoras – with the Ovitelli range of wines remaining on skins for more than 140 days – to capture a relaxed tannin profile that emphasised suppleness on the palate, while simultaneously emphasising textural complexity.
He also applied his transformative methods to Yangarra Shiraz, achieving a distinctively elegant and supple expression that helps redefine Australian Shiraz.
Fraser’s passion for the natural world extended to a love of animals. He always had dogs and farmed everything from cattle to chickens, but his deepest affection was for horses, and he was an accomplished horseman.
Tributes
Winemaker Stephen Pannell, proprietor of SC Pannell Wines in McLaren Vale, was a close friend of Fraser. ‘Winemaking is often such a competitive area, but we both shared a common love – Grenache. Because of that, we talked endlessly and shared information about everything we did with Grenache, so that we could both make better and better wines, and that’s not common in this game.
‘We had a shared goal, to elevate Blewitt Springs Grenache among the world’s great wines – and I think we are starting to see that this is his legacy. His focus was on making Grenache wines that had tannins and longevity, and that is rare among Australian wines.
‘For the past four years, we went around Australia with David Gleave to promote and educate people about the magic of great Grenache, and through that we formed such a special relationship. I’ve lost such a close friend, confidant and muse.’
D’Arenberg Wines owner and winemaker Chester Osborn knew Fraser for 30 years. ‘He was a delightful person, just a lovely bloke,’ he told The Advertiser newspaper. ‘He was a great winemaker. He was perfecting his style all the time and getting better and better.’
Yangarra Estate paid tribute to Fraser’s work in a statement: ‘For more than 25 years, Pete was the driving force behind Yangarra and was an incredible winemaker, thought leader, mentor, and a defining voice in the industry. All of us who had the privilege of working with him are devastated by this loss. He was deeply loved, and his legacy is profound.’
Fraser is survived by his wife Tessa and two children, Jack and Poppy.
