Handpicked Highbow Hill Vineyard Yarra Valley Marsanne 2014

Current release Marsanne, from a little known producer, for $60/bottle? Jousting sticks…

Yet this is not shit. Not at all. Rather, it’s a pretty clever textural wine that borrows heavily from the northern Rhone Marsanne textbook (and does it well).

From a small Marsanne block planted in 1998, this is whole bunch pressed, barrel fermented in old oak and aged for 10 months on lees.

Straw yellow. Captures some of the more evocative stonefruit aromatics of Northern Rhone Marsanne, with peach, apricot and some old school musky aftershave. Dry, sweet and sour palate is driven by phenolics, a push/pull between acid, glycerol edged ripe fruit richness and that phenolic grip..

Surprise packet and real interest here. Drink: 2015-2020. 18/20, 93/100

Details: 14%, Screwcap, $59.99, Sample
Would I buy it? Not sure I’d buy it, but would definitely drink it.
Buy online: Handpicked website