Viognier – a grape to watch….

June 27, 2018

Viognier is a grape to watch as it begins to make it's presence known in the Australian wine industry.

Although Viognier has been grown in the northern Rhône for centuries, it is believed to have been introduced into France from Dalmatia (now Bosnia) around 280AD.  The most famous Viognier wines are from Condrieu in France's Rhône Valley, although many New World wine producers, including Australia and the USA have commenced planting the variety.

Often described as 'vibrant and vivacious', a truly great Viognier offers complex flavours of apricot and honeysuckle with a luscious mouthfeel that can make for a memorable wine experience.  Very seductive when done correctly!  But like any seductress, Viognier has the reputation for being quite temperamental to grow and make.

We planted a 4-acre block in 2000, which is now producing consistent fruit expressing all the characters of a true Viognier.

We use the fruit to produce a straight varietal as well as co-ferment a small amount with our winery block Shiraz to produce a Rhône-style Shiraz Viognier.

A small amount of the Cloverleaf 2013 Viognier remains, ahead of the release of the 2017 in August.  The next release under the premium Ladbroke Grove label will be the 2014 LGW Shiraz Viognier "La Primera".

Ladbroke Grove was the first in Coonawarra to experiment with and release a Shiraz Viognier blend.