Highlights: two ambitious Viogniers, from Yalumba and Laurent Miquel
Viognier is a really interesting grape variety, and these are two ambitious examples from producers who have focused quite strongly on it. Both are in climates that are a bit warmer than the grapes birthplace, the northern Rhône. And they are both really good.
Yalumba Samuel’s Collection Eden Valley Viognier 2022 Barossa, Australia
13.5% alcohol. Really appealing aromatics of lemon, mandarin and apricot with a hint of vanilla sweetness. The palate is nicely textured and ripe with some lush sweet melon, apricot and lemon fruit, showing some nice balancing acidity and a zesty, pithy finish. Yalumba do Viognier really well: you’d never confuse this with Condrieu, but the exotic fruit is very typical of the variety, contrasting with the focused acid line from technologically adept winemaking. 92/100 (£17.99 Loki Wine, Flagship Wines, Vinvm)
Laurent Miquel Lieu-Dit La Verité Cesssenon Viognier 2022 Pays d’Oc, France
14.5% alcohol. Full yellow/gold in colour, this is an impactful wine, offering toast, wood spice, peach and apricot notes with some richness from the alcohol, but also some nice balancing acidity. It’s richly flavoured and intense, and finishes long and spicy. Is it completely varietally true? Maybe not so much, but it’s really well constructed, with the spicy oak and good acidity countering the fruit that wants to be so rich. 92/100 (£19.99 Waitrose)
