Nose
A richly aromatic wine. Full aromas, almost an assault. Ripe honeydew melon, pears
(almost a freshly baked pear pie), white peach, touch of spice and some white floral characters. A
beautifully complex wine on the nose
Palate
A definite mouthful of flavour. Richly loaded with the white peach, and honeydew melon
up front. The baked pear pie flavours retain on the palate for a long time. The finish is long, soft and
round. A very gentle wine on the palate.
Growing Conditions
After a drier than average winter the vines grew exceptionally well as the ground moisture level in
early spring was perfect for growing. The weather during flowering and fruit set periods were very
mild with no spring storms so fruit set went was perfect. The site where the Marsanne is planted is
extremely gravelly and after the dry winter the risk was that the vines became stressed, however
December provided some rain as well as a good amount in early January. This topped up soil
moisture levels well so the vines maintain healthy canopies right up to vintage on the 9th of February.
The fruit was hand harvested this year to maximise the fruit quality and diversity of flavours that can
be obtained from the smaller berries.
Harvest
Hand picked
Winemaking
The hand picked fruit was received quickly after harvest, and put in the cool room for chilling
overnight. The following morning, the fruit was destemmed and crushed, and chilled to 5 degrees
c. This juice was allowed to settle overnight, and the then following day the juice was racked
cleanly into the stainless steel fermentation vessel. The juice had no additions at all at this stage,
and spontaneous ferment begun shortly after. The ferment completed after 12 days and the wine
was prepared for bottling. Minimal additions, minimal filtration results in a wine full of character.
Appearance
Bright clear straw.
