Viognier mega-tasting

For a while now, I’ve been accumulating various Viogniers, some purchased, some sent in as samples. While Shirazes and Chardonnays have moved through my liver at a fair clip, apricot delights have been taking up more and more room in the corner of my second bedroom, occasionally calling out but never making it much past the “lift, read label, put back down” stage of my wine selection routine
Viognier is one of those varieties I rarely reach for, not because I haven’t greatly enjoyed Viogniers in the past but simply because, perhaps unfairly, I think of them as a chore. I never know what to eat with them, I anticipate wines that are more opulent than refreshing; in other words, they really don’t fit into my day-to-day lifestyle, where food-friendliness and balance keep me whistling. 
Enter Jeremy Pringle, fellow Brisbane-based wine blogger and Viognier apologist. We agreed to taste six Viogniers together so that a) I could make some room in my cellar, b) Jeremy could tell me how awesome Viognier is, and c) I might start to feel more affection, as opposed to occasional admiration, for the grape.
Here are the results, in the order in which they were tasted. You can also read Jeremy’s impressions at his site.
Lazy Ballerina Viognier 2009 ($A15, retail)
Lathery sunlight soap, moving to pithy, slightly bitter lemon. Not hugely expressive, this wine comes across as a fresh but neutral, which is surprising considering the variety. Looking closer, there’s an unexpected sense of detail and prettiness, like subtly executed white-on-white lacework. In the mouth, the entry is unusual and interesting, showcasing pithy bitterness more than anything else.  I’d say apricot kernels but that’s more wishful thinking than a reflection of what’s actually there. There’s some slippery viscosity through the middle palate, where flavour swells to introduce some stonefruit in addition to light lemon juice and more refreshingly bitter astringency. It tightens through the lemon-juicy after palate. 
A squeaky clean style. If it doesn’t engage the luscious, opulent side of Viognier, that’s because it is aiming for a fresher, Summer quaffing style with fairly broad appeal. Certainly well-made, and interesting in terms of seeing how the variety answers this particular stylistic question.
Tahbilk Viognier 2009 ($A17, sample)
Compared to the Lazy Ballerina, quite expressive aromas of honeysuckle and the merest hint of apricot. It’s fresh but paradoxically also seems full and ripe. There’s a bit of vanilla ice cream on the side. No great complexity overall.
Well-balanced in the mouth – it certainly avoids being too heavy. In fact, the acidity and phenolics are rather breathtaking, both abundant and present throughout the wine’s line. The entry and mid-palate show pleasant fruit — lemon, papaya and stonefruit — quite intense really. Mouthfeel, thanks to those structural elements, is raspy and unexpected, seemingly at odds with the fuller palate weight and richer flavours. If you can deal with the texture, at least it’s very fresh and cleansing. The after palate shows alcohol heat, which is present but not overly distracting. 
This is a flavoursome wine for sure, yet right now it lacks refinement, mostly due to the way it feels in the mouth. Perhaps a few months in the bottle will help things to settle.
Ishtar Goddess White Viognier 2008 ($A19.50, sample)
Oak at last, plus some low-key cheese aromas indicative of a more active winemaking approach. The oak seems dominant at first but there’s an evolving complexity to the aroma as the wine sits in glass that includes poised stonefruit alongside the other elements. Still, the barrel is a key influence to the aroma profile and, for me, it works well.
In the mouth, good balance without any one element taking over. Entry is immediately flavoursome, if not terribly well defined. Middle palate shows greater complexity, some savoury flavours interacting with white stonefruit and richer, more hedonistic flowers and apricot. It’s quite phenolic, but the resultant textural influence is tempered by some astute winemaking, so that soft cream meets the rougher textures half way. All the while, bright fruit flavours march on over the after palate, retaining good presence right through the lengthy finish.
Very clever, cleverly-made wine that understands how to get the best from this variety while tempering its excesses. Excellent for the price. 
Clonakilla Viognier Nouveau 2009 ($A22, retail)
Essence of Viognier. Complex, joyous flowers, apricot delight, ginger cake; it just smells so right, as if picked at perfect ripeness and talking straight to me. There’s some of the intense perfume of jasmine or even lantana, which is part floral and part tangled foliage. Whatever it is, it works and comes across as confident and pure. Very expressive – seems to reach out of the glass to me. 
In the mouth, it’s worth mentioning the acidity first, which is beautifully judged and sits within the wine, moving flavours along and keeping the wine tight and fresh without shoving the other components around. Flavour is moderately intense and as complex as the nose. The conventional wisdom is that more intensity equals a better wine, but the restrained fruit flavour here seems totally appropriate and positively influences drinkability. Very clean after palate with some of the slipperiness one expects of Viognier. Quite a long finish.
A real surprise and much smarter than the quaffing white it seems to want to be. Rewards contemplative tasting and is quite delicious.
Blue Poles Viognier 2009 ($A17.50, sample)
Interesting personality, this one. It expresses itself differently, like someone whose speech patterns are syncopated with respect to everyone around them. Quite high toned, powdery aroma, like those personal fragrances that are heavy on the aldehydes. Flavours are in the citrus, spice and vanilla spectrum, but its character is less about fruit and more about silhouette and line. 
The palate is fuller in weight than one might expect from the nose, though it’s a long way from luscious, juggy Viognier styles. Light overtones of breakfast marmalade here, but again the palate trades overt flavour for architecture and form. Entry is powdery, showing a streak of surprising minerality. The mid-palate relaxes a little and displays a bit of trademark Viognier slipperiness, but only a bit. The acidity is very firm but fine, and phenolics seem quite subtle, which means the texture retains some finesse overall. The after palate and finish are flinty and chiselled.
I find this wine absolutely fascinating; it shows clear stylistic intent and is executed with enough skill to render that intent compelling and attractive. The most intellectual wine of the tasting. This is the only wine I took home to retaste and, on day two, it is still tight, minerally and delicious. Exceptional value.
Clonakilla Viognier 2008 ($A45, retail)
This is so complex! Apparently lots of barrel work, with plenty of vanilla, spice and smoke, alongside fine honeycomb fruit flavours that are somewhat subservient to the overall aroma profile. Not to suggest it’s out of balance, but rather the whole thing is of a piece, and it’s almost misleading to call out “apricots” or “jasmine” as singular flavours. The aroma keeps evolving in the glass.
The palate is almost miraculously all things to all people, being full-flavoured, juicy, yet beautifully structured and balanced too. The entry is well weighted and quite flavoursome. Mid-palate is impossibly well judged, everything in its place without any sense of fussiness or strain. Flavour is intense but because the wine retains shape and control throughout, this intensity is expressed with poise and appropriateness. The after palate shows some slightly more blunt oak and grapefruit-like flavours before the finish takes over and establishes an afterglow of soft apricot fuzz that lingers on and on. As the wine sits in the glass, it is expressing more richness, almost to the point where the fruit flavour hints at dessert wine opulence.
The most impressive wine here, with the greatest level of refinement and sophistication. Everything makes sense with this wine. 

Oddero Moscato d'Asti Cascina Fiori 2008

On the drive back home from a dear friend’s 35th birthday dinner, my partner and I were discussing what we’d like to drink. Sadly, the restaurant had a 500% markup on their wines, so even the lowliest Australian imported viognier was going for $40, so we had a beer and decided to hold out for something better. What sounded good? Something festive, something without too much alcohol to make tomorrow morning a slog… so how about a Moscato d’Asti? Five per cent alcohol, enough sparkle to add some Christmas spirit, and… well, how’s it taste?The wine smells of clover honey, rich and complex, with hints of spearmint and hay. It does  seem just a bit more complex than most moscato d’Asti I’ve had, though, with just a hint of an alkaline dryness. Vigorously bubbly in the mouth, perhaps just a bit too much for my tastes, the carbonation recedes eventually to reveal a fantastically delicate, balanced wine, not overly sweet, with a slightly herbal quality that shows well against the soft, honeyed texture. The finish stays with you for a long time indeed, again with a spearmint-orange peel character that’s absolutely charming.Somewhat more expensive than supermarket Moscato, sure, but worth it? Absolutely.Oddero
Price: $15
Closure: Other
Source: Sample

Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 2003

Over the past several weeks I’ve gone through nearly a case of the 2001 and 2002 vintages of this wine, none of which was particularly good or drinkable; I fear it had either gone bad in transit to North America or else was suffering from a brettanomyces infection of some degree. After one too many bottles, opened and not much drunk, of strange, mousy, Band-Aid-y shiraz, I gave up, gave away the last few bottles, and glumly realized that I still have a few cases of this wine from 2003, 2004, and 2005. After opening this bottle, though, I feel much better about the situation.At first, the smell of this wine could be mistaken for one of those gargantuan bath cubes that elderly German women seem to love so much, with hints of eucalyptus and sweet, chalky dirt. The color’s still a vibrant, youthful purple; it doesn’t smell particularly aged (which is a wonderful thing to me after the disappointment of the ’01 and ’02). There’s a suggestion of sweet, smoky, bacon-wrapped prunes here too: it smells rich and wonderfully Christmas-y.The taste of the wine is an elegant, shocking contrast to the smell of it. Instead of a fat, blowsy, American-via-South Australia shiraz, you get a lean, nervy, racy, well-acided syrah with supple dusty tannins and a finish that goes on for an age. It’s the sort of wine you’d expect Kermit Lynch to import: strong enough for a New World hedonistic-jammy-fruit enthusiast, but elegant enough for Alice Feiring too. The overall impression is of restraint, of a wine that could just have easily gone the way of Barwang shiraz but instead decide to stop halfway. There is beauty in restraint, after all.Clonakilla
Price: $20
Closure: Cork
Source: Retail

Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2007

It it possible to smell technical winemaking? Do you ever open a bottle and catch yourself wondering if Mega Purple has some kind of tell-tale aroma associated with it? I almost did for a second there, but then I found myself wondering if it wasn’t some kind of greenness I was smelling instead: there seem to be definite hints of green bell pepper here, which seems a little weird given that it’s nearly 15% alcohol. Huh.Beyond that, I don’t get much out of the nose other than an odd, almost smoky, faintly medicinal aroma that I’m not sure I like. Thankfully, it tastes better than it smells; yes, the wine seems strangely narrow at first, but broadens out somewhat to a pleasantly grapey finish with an interesting note of fresh herbs. It could use more extract, more tannin, more something – or it could just be a food wine, in which case it’s alternately admirably restrained. On the whole, though, the wine strikes me as generally sound, well-made, and not particularly interesting save for the finish, which does last quite a while and which offers definite interest (it’s now moved on to a smoky butterscotch note juxtaposed against meaty violets, not at all bad).I’m headed to Chile next week on vacation and hope to drink well while I’m down there; until then, this wine has got me wondering why I haven’t bought a Chilean wine in years. This ain’t half bad.Santa Rita
Price: $8
Closure: Cork
Source: Gift

Clonakilla O'Riada Shiraz 2008

The second release of this wine, again made from non-Estate fruit. I really enjoyed the previous vintage; it struck me as both quite Canberran but also refreshingly different from the flagship Shiraz Viognier label. The 2008 continues in this vein.

This seems a bit quieter and more resolved than the 2007. I recall the earlier wine as lively, edgy and bright. This, while firmly red-fruited and medium bodied, seems composed and calm too. The nose shows what appears to be whole bunch characters, with a funky stalkiness that never entirely blows off, even as it integrates with intense black pepper and spiced plum fruit. The aroma profile is quite complex, though it’s not one of those wines that feels the need to parade its complexity in the precocious manner of a contestant in a toddler’s beauty pageant. 
The palate is soothingly resolved, remarkably so for such a young wine. There’s plenty of up-front flavour, more spice and red fruit along with an umami influence that adds a particular deliciousness to the flavour profile. The middle palate gets a bit brighter, with acid driving a relatively high toned set of flavours that are generous without ever entirely relaxing on the tongue. The stalk-like notes translate here as a medicinal influence, attractive and sympathetic to the fruit flavours. A nimble after palate and finish round things off well, with good length.
Very attractive, satisfying wine with excellent drinkability. In time, it may improve and gain greater presence across the spectrum of its flavours, from top to bottom. I would not feel guilty about drinking it now, though, as there’s a lot of enjoyment to be had in the immediate term. 
Update: after two days, this has filled out beautifully without losing an ounce of elegance. Super wine.

Clonakilla
Price: $A35
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Retail

Yalumba Hand Picked Barossa Shiraz + Viognier 2001

Dusty roasted cocoa nibs come to mind, backed with the residue of children’s fruit leather that was forgotten underneath the front seat of a minivan for months: dusty-sweet with faint memories of summertime. The taste, however, seems at odds with the way the wine smells, brightly acidic and with a midpalate reminiscent of a general store pickle barrel, the wine is strangely fascinating, with a spiky, velvety texture that spreads out to a long finish of patent medicines and schmoozingly-textured tannin. This is a real odd duck of a wine: far from elderly, it seems to be holding on just fine eight years after harvest. I’m not sure if I like it, but I respect it: this is a fairly crowded category (South Australian shiraz) and this is one of the most unique bottles I’ve tasted. It’s not jammy raspberry motor oil, it’s not archaeo-funky Rockford, and it’s not Côte-Rôtie light, but something entirely other. I imagine this would pair very well with Japanese food that features grilled mackerel and other umami-intensive foodstuffs: there’s a certain cogency nere with savory, grilled, fishy, salty foods that’s intensely appealing once you get over the shock of it not being like something you’ve had before. Whoever made this wine should be damn proud of what they’ve achieved here. Yalumba
Price: $28
Closure: Cork
Source: Retail

Mulyan Block 9 Shiraz Viognier 2007

Some wines tread a fine line between angular and offputting. This wine (or this bottle) is certainly a good example; at least at first, where the overriding impression is one of tacky New Zealand geothermal theme parks (“Craters of the Moon!”) and mud. But just as I was about to reach for the term “European” to describe what felt like a borderline faulty wine, it has zapped into focus, becoming a peppery, meaty expression of Shiraz Viognier that is decidedly improving with air.

Full-on pepper steak aromas smother core of dense berry fruit, quite dark in character and brambly in expression. The aroma is actually quite fascinating in its cacophony; I can’t decide whether it’s disjointed or a radically different interpretation of coherence. I suppose that it prompts such aesthetic flights of fancy is a point in its favour, irrespective of taste.
The palate is also curiously styled, with a plump apricot presence alongside red berries and more cooked steak. It’s flavoursome for sure; the entry has good immediacy and zips along in the mouth, thanks mostly to some fairly prominent acidity. The middle palate relaxes a little, though it’s still bright. Medium bodied, this wine’s mouthfeel is slippery despite the acid, and reminds me a little of the way apricots feel when you bite into a ripe one. Fruit character is quite sweet, which is a provocative counterpart to the funky, meaty notes and makes for a flavour profile that is full of contradictions. Good continuity through the after palate, and a nice flourish on the finish helps berry flavour to linger on for a good while.
Despite its oddity, I’m fascinated by this wine. Its profile is far from conventional, and tends towards exaggeration. But it’s also more beautiful than many conventionally styled wines. 

Mulyan Wines
Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Flaxman Riesling 2009

The small Flaxman estate vineyard is located in the Barossa ranges, in the same area as various renowned vineyards like Heggies, Karra Yerta and Pewsey Vale. In amongst mature Semillon and Shiraz are the forty five year old Riesling vines from which this wine is made. You’d expect, with this pedigree, definitive Eden Riesling. And so it is.

Intense mineral, gravel notes establish the aroma profile, which goes on to express floral and lime rind characters as well. There’s a clear articulation of top, middle and base notes here, each working in concert with, eventually blurring the lines between, each other. Its character, while complex and clear, is also soft, preferring to communicate in soothing tones. I associate a certain coherence with superior wines; they express singularly as opposed to as a collection of discrete smells. This wine possesses such coherence, and is quite thrilling in its clarity. 
The palate shows great balance between fine, fresh acidity and fruit weight. Indeed, the citrus notes are surprisingly generous compared to a nose heavier on the minerality. On entry, flavour skates briskly over the tongue, supported by beautiful acidity and a mouthfeel that seems ultra-refined, indeed almost slippery. The middle palate is all about ripe, fresh limes, cleanly expressed. There are also some flowers and slate that travel along the edges, and which grab centre stage through the after palate. A high toned, pithy finish goes on for quite a while. 
It’s just so effortlessly stylish, this wine, like a natural beauty who looks great in just about anything. I don’t mind saying I’ll be putting in my order for a few bottles.

Flaxman Wines
Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

There are lots of nice things about this wine, but I just can’t get over the tannins. They are awesome. 

I’ve been tasting this over three nights and only now, on the third evening, is it beginning to tire. The nose shows as much sweet earth as it does Cabernet cassis and leaf, so one might describe this expression of the grape as “regional.” As an aside, I find certain regions quite fascinating for the overriding effect they seem to have on some varieties. Hunter does it to reds, and so does Canberra. They taste more of their geographic provenance than anything else, and so it is too with this wine. There’s ample volume and expressiveness here, which conspire to deliver a wine one doesn’t easily tire of smelling.
In the mouth, a velvet ride of sweet tannin plushness. There’s more than just tannin, of course, but I keep coming back to them as the foundation, both structural and aesthetic, of this wine. On entry, immediate red fruited goodness pushed along by fine, balanced acidity and a twang of orange juice-like sourness. Everything comes together on the middle palate, clean fruit colliding with rich soil and a hint of unexpected minerality. Texturally, an abundance of ripe tannins provides both firmness and a sense of luxury. The whole is medium bodied, with good balance and an overarching sense of down home drinkability. The after palate and finish are admirably focused, with both fruit and structure moving seamlessly through the mouth and lingering on in the form of Angostura Bitters flavour and a dry, more-ish mouthfeel.
Really nice wine, and exceptional value considering its pedigree and character. The regional style may not be to everyone’s taste, but it appeals to me greatly. 

Tahbilk
Price: $A20
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample

Kirrihill Slate Creek Vineyard Riesling 2009

A single vineyard wine from the Watervale sub-region of the Clare Valley. And a really true example of this style of Riesling too, very much in a drink now idiom but recognisably regional all the same. 

The nose shows swirly, shabby chic aromas of old lace, freshly squeezed lemon juice and ripe white flowers. There’s also a hint of talcum powder verging on minerality, which adds a nice lilt to the aroma profile. Taken as a whole, the nose is both relatively complex and totally accessible, signalling a wine made for easy, but not braindead, enjoyment.
On entry, acid is restrained in volume yet robust in texture, overlaid with lemon juice notes that are less intrusively sour than some. This combination carries linearly through to a mid-palate that widens only marginally, holding its tight, clear line. Intensity of fruit is moderate, which suits the style, and it’s here that a range of flavour complexities emerge. Pebbles and crusher dust sit in the minerality camp, while the fruit turns towards a lemon rind-like astringency. Texture is even and a little gravelly through the after palate, and the finish is long, tapering elegantly away to nothing.
A solid wine, then, with plenty of character and made in a style that’s very approachable right now. Not a bad Friday night choice.

Kirrihill
Price: $A19.95
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample