Eck Wines Heathcote Marsanne No. 2 2024

From the winery: 

"There's a subtle phosphorescent orange glow to this wine; the whole berry component adding texture and complexity. Lemon curd, rockmelon and soft honeysuckle. Texture, with clean acidity. A hint of apricot, delicate with a full mouth feel and lasting finish. Great on its own or with cheese, particularly a French Double-Cream Brie.

Handpicked in early February (10 February), the grapes were chilled overnight. The following day, approximately 10% of the fruit was de-stemmed, with the whole berries transferred to one 600L Terracotta Amphora for ferment. The remaining fruit was softly pressed to stainless tank.

The juice in tank was inoculated with an existing ferment. Post ferment, this was racked into the 600L Amphora for 6 months. The whole berry portion of this wine (in Amphora) was pressed after 2 weeks of ferment, and then aged in a French barrique. 

Blending the whole berry component with the traditional ferment, the juice was bottled in early September 2024. The final wine is a little hazy from the whole berry (skin contact) component, as we did a little bit of lees work (stirring) to add texture to the wine."