2019 Westgate Vineyard Marsanne Roussanne Viognier

Grown at Westgate Vineyard, site of some of our best Shiraz grapes. We convinced the owner to pull out cabernet and plant 3 rows of Marsanne and one each of Roussanne and Viognier. Crazily, it is the only Marsanne and Roussanne in the region. 2019 is now the 10th vintage of this wine, and again all varieties were picked and pressed together, settled overnight and then racked to and allowed to ferment with wild yeasts in very old French puncheons and barriques. The wine was allowed to complete malolactic fermentation, which I think makes the wine more vinous, delicate and less fruity. Almost paradoxically the malo contributes to the transparency and unforced feel of the wine without sacrificing line. It is held on gross lees for a full 11 months, and is neither cold stabilised nor fined in any way, and in 2019 we decided to again bottle it unfiltered. Mid weight, with a gentle grip to close. Leaner but more intense than 2016, possibly closest to 2011 in style, but with more creamy texture.

Vine age 12yrs
13.0% alc.
pH 3.48
Total acidity 5.6g/l
230 dozen produced
Vegan