2023 Liberté

2023 Liberté

$50.00
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Varietals, Vineyard & Harvest: 50% viognier, 25% marsanne and 25% roussanne grown and hand-harvested at Black Bank Hill in various picks on October 7, 10 and 12, 2023, with the viognier and roussanne both coming in at 22.0 brix and the marsanne at 23.9.

Winemaking: The viognier was a mix of whole cluster pressed and skin contact, whereas the marsanne and roussanne were both whole cluster pressed.  All were racked directly into mainly neutral French oak barrels and fermented using wild/ambient yeasts. Élevage was 20-months on lees in same French oak. The wine was blended and estate-bottled unfined on 25 July 2025.

Wine Description: Bright straw colour. Aromas of white peach, preserved lemon, jasmine and lavender.  The palate continues with bosc pear, melon, passion fruit, gardenia, herbs de Provence and anise. A similar creamy mid-palate to the estate viognier bottling, however the marsanne component brings a heightened level of minerality and structure to this wine.  Medium-plus bodied in weight with good acidity, the wine shows great concentration and length of finish.

Acidity & pH: TA 6.27 g/L, Malic acid 1.17 g/L, pH 3.33

Sweetness: Dry on the palate containing 3.1 g/L residual sugar

Alcohol by Volume: 14.2%

Production: 97 cases

 

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Independent Wine Reviews

David Lawrason - 93 points, Value Rating: 5/5

This is a southern Rhone inspired blend of viognier, marsanne and roussanne that was barrel fermented and aged 20 months in neutral oak. It is quite an accomplishment with classic viognier star fruit, melon, nutmeg spice from the oak and tea aromas. It is medium-full bodied with some sweetness, gloss and warmth underpinned by classic Niagara acid and minerality. The length is excellent. By happenstance I was able to taste it next to a famous white Chateauneauf-du-Pape and the resemblance was impressive, with the Niagara version not having quite the same weight or depth. Tasted Vintages March 2026.

 

Megha Jandhyala, DipWSET – 93 points, Value Rating: 4/5

This is an alluring blend of viognier, marsanne, and rousanne. It has a delightful texture, gently rounded and creamy, almost pillowy, with supple, integrated acidity. Like an impressionist painting, there is a diffused radiance about this wine, the flavours of stone and orchard fruit are somehow clear and bright, yet also soft, in a pleasing way. The finish lingers pleasantly. Tasted March 2026.

John Szabo, MS – 92 points, Value Rating 5/5

Black Bank Hill's improbable Niagara "Rhône" style blend of half viognier with one-quarter each of Marsanne and Roussanne is a remarkably sleek and fluid, concentrated and flavourful wine, properly aromatic with its floral-violet and stone fruit viognier contributions, also the pleasant bitterness of the latter two varieties to boost freshness in the absence of high acids. Length and depth are very good indeed. A pretty fine wine in the final analysis. Really enjoying this; drink or hold until the end of the decade to be safe - without any track record, it's hard to tell how far this will go, but I'm keen to find out. Tasted March 2026.

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