Well suited to the warmer regions Viognier represents a true challenge for winemakers. Often difficult to manage in the vineyard, with a scrappy looking canopy, a propensity to overcrop and variable maturation rates within the crop itself. The legend is it has a 3 hour picking window for optimum results. In the winery, it’s thick skins provide a challenge with phenolic management and keeping its natural oily texture in balance with acidity is a fine line. As winemakers, we just can resist testing ourselves.
Our Viognier fruit was hand harvested in two small batches. The first from our estate grown Viognier. Picked a little latter, it adds spicy ginger notes and gives the wine an acid drive. The second parcel was harvested a little later riper, from a vineyard at the northern end of the Perth Hills. This parcel lends yellow peach and apricot flavours and gives the luscious, oily mouthfeel typical f the variety.