Adventures in Wine > Viognier
Viognier
It wasn’t that long ago that capricious white grape Viognier nearly disappeared entirely from its vineyard base in Condrieu in the Rhone Valley. Fortunately, its growers persevered and slowly but surely Viognier has achieved a remarkable recovery. As a result, it has moved beyond the Rhone to Southern France and overseas to places like South Africa and the Americas with impressive results. Viognier provides a taste profile of exotic honey-blossom, apricots and peaches and a very gentle acidity.
Chateau Routas
Winery: Chateau Routas
Region: Southern France
Sub-region: Provence
Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah ‘Agrippa’
Grenache/CS/Syrah ‘Infernet’
Syrah ‘Cyrano’
Viognier ‘Coquelicot’
Rosé ‘Rouvière’
Chardonnay/Viognier ‘Wild Boar’
Chateau Routas is located in the heart of Provence, between the French Riviera on the Mediterranean coast and teh foothills of the Alps. It is surrounded by tiny medieval villages that cling to steep cliffs and overlooks miles of spectacular hillsides, woods and rivers.
Categories: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Grenache, Syrah-Shiraz, Viognier
Heartland
Winery: Heartland
Region: Australia
Sub-region: Langhorne Creek & Limestone Coast
By Ben Glaetzer
Stickleback White – South Australia
Viognier-Pinot Gris – South Australia
Cabernet Sauvignon – Langhorne Creek & Limestone Coast
Shiraz – Langhorne Creek & Limestone Coast
Shiraz Director’s Cut – Langhorne Creek & Limestone Coast
Heartland Wines was created by a small group of leading South Australian wine professionals, including Ben Glaetzer & Vicki Arnold from Glaetzer. All are all good friends and share a passion for making great wine. Heartland wines are made with fruit from mature vineyards in the Limestone Coast and Langhorne Creek in South Australia. There are three ranges under the Heartland Wines label. Stickleback, Heartland Coast & Creek and the flagship Directors’ Cut Shiraz.
Categories: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Gris, Syrah-Shiraz, Viognier
Laurent Miquel
Winery: Laurent Miquel
Region: Southern France
Sub-region: Languedoc
Chardonnay-Viognier
Syrah Nord Sud
Syrah-Grenache
Viognier Nord Sud
Laurent Miquel, a talented young winemaker, hand selects the best grapes from his family’s estate near Beziers, in the South of France. The Chateau, Caza Viel, is in the St. Chinian appellation. The estate has been in the Miquel family since the French Revolution in 1789, when it was purchased from the local monks at Fontcaude. With over 135 hectares of mature, naturally low-yielding vines, this estate is among the most prominent independent producers in the Languedoc. Laurent crafts these premium wines as a testament to the distinct terroir of the site and to reveal wine with exceptional personality and character.
Categories: Chardonnay, Grenache, Syrah-Shiraz, Viognier
Massena
Winery: Massena
Region: Australia
Sub-region: Barossa Valley
‘Moonlight Run’
Petite Syrah (Durif) ‘Howling Dog’
‘11th Hour’
Viognier ‘Surly Muse’
The Massena label is a partnership between Dan Standish, who began his career making wine at Torbreck and Jaysen Collins from Turkey Flat. In 1999, they had both agreed to work the vintage in Clare Valley . The Moonlight Run, their initial wine, derives its name from their nightly drive back to the Barossa. During the drive home, they would share their ideas about the perfect wine to wash down a hard night’s work. Out of this ideal, Moonlight Run and further collaboration was born. Wines under the Massena label are made from 100% Barossa Valley fruit, using traditional, natural wine making techniques to capture the unique flavors of the Barossa.
Categories: Syrah-Shiraz, Viognier
Mr. Riggs
Winery: Mr. Riggs
Region: Australia
Sub-region: McLaren Vale
Shiraz ‘The Gaffer’
Shiraz/Viognier
Shiraz
Twenty-five years of making wine in South Australia has given big (6’5”) Ben ample opportunity to develop some great relationships with growers. He cherry picks grapes from some of the best vineyards in the McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek and Adelaide Hills.
Categories: Syrah-Shiraz, Viognier
The Chook
Winery: The Chook
Region: Australia
Sub-region: Langhorne Creek
Shiraz/Viognier
White VMR
Sparkling Shiraz
As the bigger sibling of Woop Woop, the Black Chook once again represents a collaboration between Ben Riggs the wine maker at Penny’s Hill, and Tony Parkinson, proprietor of Penny’s Hill. The Black Chook is sourced from McLaren Vale, known for it’s consistent, Mediterranean-type climate and Langhorne Creek which characteristically produces Shiraz that is spicy, flavorful and elegant. Co-fermenting small amounts of Viognier skins with Shiraz adds wonderful apricot perfumes, at the same time as intensifying the deep rich color and velvety mouth-feel of the wine.
Categories: Syrah-Shiraz, Viognier
Viña Tabalí
Winery: Tabalí
Region: Chile
Sub-region: Limarí Valley
Chardonnay Reserva Especial
Sauvignon Blanc Reserva
Viognier Reserva
Pinot Noir Reserva Especial
The winery started its vineyard plantings in 1993 in the exciting and promising Limarí Valley, situated in the northern part of Chile. The Limarí Valley is adjacent to the driest desert on Earth, the Atacama, but temperatures are moderated by the nearby Pacific Ocean. Clear and pure skies; limestone soils; dependable morning fog, hot days and refreshing nights result in an exceptional terroir. The winery exerts complete viticultural control over their 100% handpicked and estate grown fruit and is solar powered, sustainable and uses gravity flow. Tabalí is committed to crafting unique wines with distinct Limarí character.
Categories: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier