2011 Ben Haines “Flowers” Flor Marsanne

$150.00

Style

Thirteen years in the making. Medium-bodied, bone dry, unfortified, long-term oxidatively lees-aged, flor-derived wine. Flowers takes inspiration from a number of global wine styles, but is very much its own force.

Embracing two of the most beautiful elements of winemaking; creativity and time, and finding reference points somewhere between Amontillado, Vin Jaune, Madeira and Vin Santo. While unfortified, Flowers reflects the way in which all components of the grape are intensified, concentrated and complexed over long periods of oxidative ageing. This wine tells the story of the variety, the maker, and the compounding magic of patience. 

A complex, heady wine with highly concentrated components; alcohol, acids, volatile acids, aromas and flavours are all amplified to eleven. Rancio, spice, honey and toast, with faint traces of primary fruit, but increasingly dominated by expansive, pervasive secondary and tertiary Marsanne character. This wine is now part of a perpetual solera, each bottle drawn directly from barrel to order, capturing a moment in time. 

500mL 

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Style

Thirteen years in the making. Medium-bodied, bone dry, unfortified, long-term oxidatively lees-aged, flor-derived wine. Flowers takes inspiration from a number of global wine styles, but is very much its own force.

Embracing two of the most beautiful elements of winemaking; creativity and time, and finding reference points somewhere between Amontillado, Vin Jaune, Madeira and Vin Santo. While unfortified, Flowers reflects the way in which all components of the grape are intensified, concentrated and complexed over long periods of oxidative ageing. This wine tells the story of the variety, the maker, and the compounding magic of patience. 

A complex, heady wine with highly concentrated components; alcohol, acids, volatile acids, aromas and flavours are all amplified to eleven. Rancio, spice, honey and toast, with faint traces of primary fruit, but increasingly dominated by expansive, pervasive secondary and tertiary Marsanne character. This wine is now part of a perpetual solera, each bottle drawn directly from barrel to order, capturing a moment in time. 

500mL 

Shipping and Delivery
Distribution and wholesale

Style

Thirteen years in the making. Medium-bodied, bone dry, unfortified, long-term oxidatively lees-aged, flor-derived wine. Flowers takes inspiration from a number of global wine styles, but is very much its own force.

Embracing two of the most beautiful elements of winemaking; creativity and time, and finding reference points somewhere between Amontillado, Vin Jaune, Madeira and Vin Santo. While unfortified, Flowers reflects the way in which all components of the grape are intensified, concentrated and complexed over long periods of oxidative ageing. This wine tells the story of the variety, the maker, and the compounding magic of patience. 

A complex, heady wine with highly concentrated components; alcohol, acids, volatile acids, aromas and flavours are all amplified to eleven. Rancio, spice, honey and toast, with faint traces of primary fruit, but increasingly dominated by expansive, pervasive secondary and tertiary Marsanne character. This wine is now part of a perpetual solera, each bottle drawn directly from barrel to order, capturing a moment in time. 

500mL 

Shipping and Delivery
Distribution and wholesale

 

Winemaking Notes

Marsanne was whole bunch pressed in February 2011, and cold settled overnight before racking to neutral 228 litre barrique barrels for fermentation via indigenous yeast. Fermentation took place to complete dryness over 6 months. The wine was then inoculated with Flor yeast from old sherry casks that were inherited, forming a veil. After 2 years, the veil dissipated, and the wine was left on ullage (just over half full) and on full gross lees, for 13 years.

No added sulphur dioxide. No fining. No filtration.

The last bottlings of Flowers were in 2021. Now, after three years, select casks ready for bottling. Since 2011, subsequent vintages have been made in the same style (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 and 2020), each now playing its own role in the perpetual Ben Haines solera.

Origin

Warramunda Vineyard, Coldstream, Yarra Valley
Mountain derived duplex clays with sandstone and mudstone subsoils
Clone: N/E Vic Selection
Planted 2001

Ingredients

Marsanne grapes
Natural/indigenous yeast and bacteria
Naturally occurring sulphites. No added sulphites
16% abv
Old casks
Time

Artwork

Madeline Wright