Made from fruit grown in Gippsland and at Narkoojee, this is the winery's second vintage of Viognier and presents an interesting addition to the Narkoojee white wine portfolio. It's a variety Managing Director and Winemaker Harry Friend believes can be treated much the same as Chardonnay with barrel ageing, lees stirring in addition to creating a newer style of wine such as a shiraz viognier.
He explains further: "We decided to graft about
30% of our cabernet plantings over to viognier". "We decided on two clones of viognier, known as HTK and the
other as 642, and grafted these in 2010, the other advantage of grafting
rather than planting was the smaller time to establishment and we harvested
our first vintage in 2013".
It's impressive drop from the get go and if ever the Viognier reaches the acclaim of the Narkoojee Chardonnay range, it will be in rarified air indeed.
The 2014 vintage is a translucent
yellow-coloured wine with distinct varietal aromas of fresh
apricot, violet perfumes, lime and spice notes. It's an expressive nose that leans more to the citrus side of things.
Palate is textural and
taut, dry and chalky. It tastes of assorted stone fruits, lime, some ginger and stone-like minerality. Fresh, vibrant and on the lighter side of mid-weight with tidy acid and light spicy undertones. Spikey mid-palate but a smooth and warm exit.
There's an elegance associated with such a young-vined wine grown and produced in a cool climate. Good drinkability and one to keep on the watchlist. The 2015 is now available on the Narkoojee website.
Source: Sample. ABV: 13.5%. Closure: Screw Cap. Price: $ NA. Rating: 90+ Points.
Website: http://narkoojee.com
