2009 Yalumba Hand Picked Shiraz Viognier

The concept of blending Shiraz and Viognier is not new. This wine is inspired by the great French wine region of Northern Rhone, in particular, the Côte Rôtie area. Côte Rôtie has often been described as one of France's finest and most perfumed red wines. In more recent vintages Yalumba has begun to utilise the skins only of the Viognier grapes in addition to the traditional method of co-fermenting select parcels of both Shiraz and Viognier grapes together. The skins on their own can often provide even more powerful aroma and texture and this helps create another dimension of flavour and complexity in the wine.

Maturation took place in a complex array of new and older French and Hungarian oak hogsheads for a period of16 months. Totally opaque black purple colour with deep purple hue. The nose offers up aromas of liquorice, ripe blackberry and confectionary along with a light dried apricot overtone. The palate shows much more exuberance than the nose delivering a concentrate of liquorice, ripe blackberry and vanillin confectionary flavours that swamps the palate followed by a touch of spice. Opulent joosy texture with velvet smooth tannins. Long aftertaste of ripe blackberry, liquorice, confectionary and vanillin spice. Cellar 4-5 years (2012-2017)
Alc 13.5%