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Marabino

Eureka Chardonnay 2016

Price: $24.95
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Tasting notes

Eureka does not taste like Chardonnay in any conventional sense — 12 to 15 days on skins in Noto's Mediterranean heat produces an amber-hued wine with stone fruit, dried herbs, and a saline mineral pull that reflects the limestone-clay soils of Contrada Buonivini. The extended batonnage on the lunar calendar adds texture without weight, keeping the wine fresh at 12.5% ABV.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
Taste profile
White PeachApricotSalinityDried Apricot
  • Style: Amber-hued orange wine; medium body; stone fruit and saline minerality; 12.5% ABV
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Chardonnay; two plots in Contrada Buonivini, Noto; limestone-gray and deep black clay soils; 30-80m elevation; certified organic and biodynamic
  • Winemaking: Native yeast fermentation; 12-15 days skin contact in stainless steel; aged in steel until spring with lunar-calendar batonnage; no oenological additives; 28 mg/L total sulfites
  • Serving: Serve at 55-58F; 15-20 min open before pouring
  • Pairing: Grilled whole fish, calamari, aged pecorino, caciocavallo, anchovy-caper antipasti, chickpea dishes
  • Similar To: For fans of skin-contact whites and amber wines who want mineral drive over fruit weight

Eureka is made from Chardonnay sourced from two distinct plots in Contrada Buonivini, Noto, in southeastern Sicily. One vineyard sits on limestone-gray soils alongside a traditional Arab-era water drain called a saia, which keeps temperatures cooler and more humid. The other is planted in deep, black clay soils. Both are trained to spurred cordon and planted with selected Chardonnay clones adapted to this hot, coastal microclimate.

The grapes are whole-cluster macerated with skins in stainless steel tanks for 12 to 15 days using only native yeasts, with no oenological additives of any kind. After fermentation, the wine rests in stainless steel until the following spring, receiving continuous batonnage timed to the lunar calendar. Total sulfites are low at 28 mg/L with nothing added in the cellar.

Farming at Marabino is certified organic and guided by biodynamic principles since winemaker Pierpaolo Messina took over in 2008. The estate covers approximately 27 to 30 hectares entirely in Contrada Buonivini, at 30 to 80 meters above sea level, less than 7 kilometers from the sea. No grapes or wine are purchased from outside the estate.

The result is an orange wine that reads as a place rather than a variety. The skin contact adds texture and amber color without overwhelming the mineral and stone-fruit character native to this corner of Sicily. Bottled under the Terre Siciliane IGT designation.

Works well with grilled whole fish, seared calamari, or dishes built around chickpeas and olive oil. The skin tannin and salinity handle aged cheeses such as pecorino or caciocavallo without being overwhelmed. Also a solid match for Sicilian-style antipasti with anchovies, capers, and preserved vegetables.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Orange Wine
Wine Style:, Medium Body
Grapes:, Chardonnay
Farming:, Organic and Biodynamic
Vintage:, 2016
Alcohol:, 12.5%
Country:, Italy
Region:, Sicily
Appellation:, Terre Siciliane IGT
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


Important Compliance Requirements

FedEx and other carriers we might occasionally use can only deliver wine to customers who are 21 years or older. Someone must be at the address to receive the package, carriers don't just drop a package and leave. They must ensure the person receiving the wine is 21 or older.


Re-shipping a Package

If a package is returned to us after three failed delivery attempts, we can only re-ship the wine upon payment of a re-shipping fee, to be determined based on the shipping address and number of bottles. Shipping wine is extremely expensive. We are sorry about this, but we have no other choice. Please make sure there's always someone at the address you enter as your shipping address.

If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


Re-routing a Package

If you'd like to reroute a package after it's been shipped, we can do so for a $20 re-routing fee. We cannot re-route a package across state borders. For any change of address, please contact us as soon as possible, ideally within 1-2 days from placing the order or we cannot guarantee we'll be able to reroute or change your order's shipping address.


Canceling an Order

If you'd like to cancel an order after it's been shipped, we can do so upon payment of a small cancellation fee – the amount depends on the size of the order. Carriers charge us a lot of money to recall a package en-route.


Heat/Frost damage

We are not responsible for heat- or frost-related issues. We offer ice-packs upon request. Please let us know if you think that there could be heat-related issues. If we don't hear anything from you regarding weather issues before an order is shipped, or if you don't request a hold due to the weather, we are not responsible for heat/frost damage.


Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

3. Please track your package using the tracking service.

4. The carrier will attempt delivery a maximum of 3 times. After 3 delivery attempts, your package will be sent back to our warehouse.**

*Please ensure your email address is correct; otherwise, you will not receive the order and shipping confirmation emails.

**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Marabino

Marabino was founded in 2002 as a spin-off from Natura Iblea, an organic fruit and vegetable operation established by the Messina family in 1996. In the early years the estate owned vineyards but no cellar, relying on outside facilities for vinification. The dedicated winery in Contrada Buonivini, Noto, was completed in 2007. Pierpaolo Messina took over management in 2008 after studying in Siena and working alongside Tuscan producers practicing biodynamic viticulture.

The estate covers approximately 27 to 30 hectares, all in Contrada Buonivini, and produces around 100,000 bottles annually. Vineyards sit at 30 to 80 meters above sea level, less than 7 kilometers from the sea, on predominantly calcareous-clay soils that shift in color from white limestone to black clay across individual plots. Farming is certified organic and follows biodynamic principles, with all vineyard work tied to the lunar calendar and no purchased fruit or wine. Key varieties are Nero d'Avola, Moscato Bianco, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc.

In the cellar, Marabino uses spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts and adds no oenological products at any stage. For Eureka, Chardonnay grapes from two contrasting vineyard plots undergo skin-contact fermentation in stainless steel for 12 to 15 days. The wine then ages in stainless steel until the following spring with continuous batonnage carried out according to the lunar calendar. Sulfites are low and nothing is added.

Wine region

Sicily, Italy

The Val di Noto covers the southeastern corner of Sicily across parts of the provinces of Syracuse and Ragusa. The landscape is rolling limestone hills, inland plateaus, and coastal plains, with vineyards sitting at low elevations — typically under 100 meters — and exposed to cooling winds off both the Ionian Sea and the Sicilian Strait. Noto itself sits on a latitude south of Tunis, making this one of the sunniest viticultural zones in Europe, with hot, arid summers and mild winters.

The principal appellations in Val di Noto include the Eloro DOC, established in 1994 and covering the municipalities of Noto, Pachino, Portopalo di Capo Passero, Rosolini, and Ispica. The Eloro DOC is focused on red and rosé wines from Nero d'Avola, Frappato, and Perricone. The neighboring Noto DOC covers Nero d'Avola reds and the aromatic Moscato di Noto. Marabino's estate wines that include Chardonnay fall outside these native-variety red DOC rules and are labeled Terre Siciliane IGT. Soils in the area range from white calcareous limestone to deep black clay, often varying within the same estate, and mineral content is high throughout.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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