If there is a wine that best sums up what we do, it is this. A blend of once significant heritage varieties featuring Muscadelle, Malvasia, Vermentino, Navera and a little Chenin to keep barriques full. Muscadelle and Malvasia are regarded as neutral grapes and their inclusion allows the terroir through. The seasonal conditions determine the proportion of each variety included in the blend.
The 2022 was dominated by Malvasia, whereas this wine showcases the obscure Muscadelle grape – a native of Bordeaux, where it can make up 10% of white wines from the region. Jack Mann introduced Muscadelle into the Houghton White Burgundy blend in the 1950’s, which until that point was comprised entirely of Chenin blanc. Perhaps this minor Bordelais variety arrived in the Swan Valley due to Jack’s obsession with the other grape – Cabernet Sauvignon? We’ll never know, but Jack’s position was that Muscadelle “generated an extra flavour, adding softness and longevity”.
All varieties were whole bunch pressed and vinified separately, spending 10 months in seasoned French oak barriques on fine lees, before bottling unfined and unfiltered.
Preserved citrus fruits, sweet meadow hay and petrichor on the nose with a rounded, juicy, soft long palate that is long in a saline mineral way. A snapshot of the soils, culture and climate of this special place.
“Vibrant, exotic and lip-smacking satisfying. The Mediterranean via the Swan Valley – 94 points” (Mike Bennie Winefront).
