Clonakilla - Shiraz Viognier 2021 (750ml)

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Producer	Clonakilla
Country	Australia
Region	Canberra District
Varietal	Red Blend
Vintage	2021
Sku	8671

 

I've been chipping away at a bottle of this 2021 Shiraz Viognier all week of a nighttime, and a very interesting and impressive trend has emerged. Despite the wine in the glass being delicate, pristine and almost a little nervous (a product of the cool La Niña year that was responsible for over 1,000 millimeters of rain, when the average is only 630 millimeters), over the course of a couple of days at first, it opened up beautifully, the major impact being on the texture, which has silked right out and has brought all components of the wine into harmony. Onto day three and four, the wine has started to indicate little hints of the exotic spice, cocoa nib and roasted meat rind that it picks up in old age, yet it has not fallen to the ravages of oxygen. This evolution tells me everything I need and want to know about its quality and ageability. So, what's it like? It has notes of rose petals, raspberry leaf tea, brine, licorice root, redcurrant, tobacco leaf and even a hint of orange rind/bergamot. The palate is shaped by very fine tannins that cascade across the mouth, leaving a trail of cocoa nib, clove bud and again with the orange zest/bergamot suggestion. Such a beautiful wine in youth, it's no wonder much of it won't make its first birthday! As seems to be the ongoing trend, this has 6% Viognier inclusion and is lighter in alcohol this year, at 13.2%. Highly collectable.

A benchmark for this variety in Australia, this edition is fresh, fragrant and elegantly composed. Aromas of apricot, ginger and white stone fruit abound, with a savory thread of lightly toasted nuts and stony minerals. The palate has an impressively taut core of pear and white-peach flavors. Crisp, fresh finish. Drink now. Screw cap.