As a winner of this trophy, we were asked to present in the White Wine Masterclass on the Saturday at the Grampians Grape Escape alongside other trophy winners from Bests and Seppelt’s (also Grampians wines). MC Simon Freeman from Grampians Wine Cellar. When it was my turn to speak it seemed that my excitement blew the roof off…… Well, not exactly but I did blow up the PA system meaning the microphone did not work. I continued on trying to project my voice with some limited success. If you were there and couldn’t hear, or missed it altogether, below is a bit of a summary!
Fun facts about Viognier
- Only about 1-2% of the total wine grown in Australia is Viognier
- Originates from France – Northern Rhone Region
- Best served at around or below room temp to bring out aromas and flavor and balance out the acid.
Notes from Andrew the Viticulturalist
- 2022 was a reasonably warm season. It was a longer ripening period than normal with cool nights over this period allowing for nice slow ripening which this variety loves.
- We left it longer and netted it to get the fuller flavors and keep the wildlife away.
Before you taste……
- Imagine you are eating your favorite seafood or Asian dish. In particular anything Asian with some lemon grass or maybe a Indian food (the more aromatic the better). Any seafood!
- Smell the wine…… Things you may pick up:
- It’s quite aromatic with some floral notes
- subtle oak.
Taste the wine……
- Taste the wine…… This wine spent about 7 months in French oak (not new). The oak will be subtle as it doesn’t take on the oak as much as a Chardonnay would.
- Things you may pick up:
- Light in acid (not as much as a Chardonnay as skins are not as thick)
- Apricots, peaches and maybe tropical fruits such as pineapple?
We also submitted it to Halliday for reviewing and here is what they said…….
2022 Viogner
$28.00 Per Bottle
Alcohol: 13%
Color: Pale straw with gold hint
Bouquet: Hints of lemon, passionfruit, honey and guava.
Palate: An aromatic, expressive white wine showcasing the rich, floral essence of the viognier varietal. You may taste Apricots, peaches and maybe tropical fruits such as pineapple.
Vintage: 2022 was a reasonably warm season after a slightly cooler spring. It was a longer ripening period than normal with cool nights over this period allowing for nice slow ripening which this variety loves.
Cellaring: Ready to drink now or cellar for 5-10 years.