Nose
The bouquet has a saline lift & a bit of background skin-contact-induced funk, leading into riper Fiano characters of honeydew melon & white peach, with dried white flowers
Palate
A rounded & juicy palate, showing the fruit weight of a riper season. Stone fruit characters persist throughout the palate. A chalky phenolic structure holds it all together & will assist with food pairing
Growing Conditions
2024 started early, was both dry & warm, yet the whites exceeded expectations with their precision, freshness, & natural acidity. Bird pressure was greatly reduced due to strong & prolonged flowering of the native Marri blossom
Harvest
Harvested on 16th February 2024 at 12.8° Bé from Block 7 & Block 18 off the certified sustainable Higher Plane vineyard in Karridale
Bottling
Bottled in August 2024.
Winemaking
The first parcel was fermented on skins for three days, then pressed to tank, briefly settled & racked to barrel to continue ferment. The second parcel was pressed to tank, settled and racked to barrel for fermentation. Unfined & vegan friendly
Aging
Five months in neutral, large format French oak
Appearance
Straw, star bright
Food Pairing
Fremantle sardines with fennel & courgette salad & preserved lemon dressing or spaghetti aglio e olio