A young Roussanne with a complex yet elegant palate and a long finish.

We use this label—a drawing done by my then young son Etienne—for small batch ferments of new varietals planted in our vineyard, or when we are playing with a new winemaking technique.

The Roussanne fruit used to make this wine was hand-harvested and fermented as whole bunches until some enticing flavours of leatherwood honey and ripe pear developed. It was then crushed, and fermented slowly through winter in a few French oak barriques.

Bottled without fining or filtering, this young Roussanne has a complex yet elegant palate with hints of honey, delicate pear and roasted nuts and a long finish. Serve cool but without excessive chilling, and enjoy over the cooler months with tasty tapas morsels or a roast chicken with fresh garden herbs.

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WINE WRITER, MAX ALLEN SAYS

'A bloody lovely white wine, richly textural, with complex alluring flavours of pear and dried ginger and wild honey.'