A mild growing season associated with moderate crop led to slow and even ripening during harvest 2022, preserving good acidity and balance while intensifying varietal characters across all the white varieties.

Our 2022 Viognier is sourced from a single vineyard, planted over 20 years ago on its own roots and tended since by a family dedicated to producing the best fruit in the most traditional ways. Almost everything is done by hand throughout the season and, if not by the owners, only by friends and family they trust. The result is pristine fruit, showcasing both the very particular characteristics of Viognier and the unique terroir of the central Margaret River region. This batch was handpicked at its peak on 31/3/2022 and sent straight to the winery for pressing. We also field blend and co-ferment a small amount of Viognier to enhance the complexity of our Shiraz. 

On arrival at the winery, the fruit was immediately loaded into the press for gentle whole bunch pressing, followed by a short cooling and settling before filling five French oak puncheons, one to three year of age. Minimal vegetarian-only adjuvants were added to aid fermentation and lees were stirred a few times in the fall and winter to enhance the fruity and floral character extractions from the fine lees. In January 2023, the wine was racked and prepared for bottling, without any added fining to preserve all its original fruit characters.

In true Viognier style, the nose is a lifted bouquet of flowers- lilac, honeysuckle and wisteria- with tempting notes of apricot skin and peach, and warm cinnamon, cardamom spices. Toasted oak notes add a nutty background to the fruit’s spiciness.

The fresh crisp clean acidity provides a long support line to the palate that reveals ripe stone fruits, apricot nectar, ruby grapefruit, a hint of quince marmalade, notes of tarragon and baking spices- clove and mace-, cracked Tellicherry peppercorns and roasted hazelnuts. Deliciously complex and more-ish, this wine is a true expression of a variety too often forgotten or overlooked.

Ribeye Grilled marron with lemon butter, roasted quails with gratin dauphinois. Then finish the bottle with a slice of Roquefort cheese for a match sure to keep your taste buds excited!