2021 Domenica Wines Roussanne Marsanne - Beechworth

A classic blend of rhone valley whites, these varieties are all about texture. For the first time, the Roussanne and Marsanne were harvested together in late March, allowing Peter to co-ferment the two varieties which are usually vinified separately and then blended. The wine was basket pressed and the juice left in a stainless steel tank overnight to settle. The following morning the juice is transferred to a selection of the oldest white wine barrels (specifically to minimise the oak impact on the finished wine) and stays in barrel for 10 months until early 2022. No temperature controls are in place but the cellar is naturally cool as it sits under the granite rich soils. Ferment is spontaneous and no malolactic is required as the site offers generous wines with great natural acidity.

This wine is reminsicient of the lovely St. Joseph wines from Cuilleron and Perret. The wine is bright with lifted white floral notes and spice. The palate is sumptuous yet balanced with a backbone of acid, stunning granitic minerality, stacked orchard fruit and a lick of high quality, old French oak. Delicious now but will only become more integrated over the next few years.