Refreshing to see the Viognier component (4.5%) stated on the back label. This is a beautiful looking young wine in the glass, gleaming purple and red meniscal hues with a little fluorescent pink and radiant with dark red as your gaze moves toward the centre of the glass. My thoughts immediately began to anticipate a genuine elegant energy contained in this wine!
The bouquet is a lovely redolent wafting of red, black fruits with a deeper promise of purple – certainly fruit but with an almost floral presentation if that makes sense. Some black pepper notes then show with a little mineral earth.
I am super sensitive to any apricot presence of Viognier in wine and I don’t enjoy such encounters. I’m looking for it in this wine, it almost shows but I don’t believe it’s there – could be a tiny placebo effect!
The palate is elegant indeed, almost decorous with very silky tannins gracefully massaging your taste buds. Ripe raspberries coat black berries with a little red currant and a gentle infusion of black pepper, as the wine opens further there is a flavour and fragrance of violets with slights of pink musk. As your palate is elongated by the wines journey the silky and lush tannins begin to produce a little drying containing polite but energising classical Granite Belt granitic mineral earth. Acid in this young wine is energetic as it twirls along the line of your palate but balance here is the experience. The French oak supports the entire elegantly energetic vinous experience.
This is probably the best Shiraz Viognier I’ve tasted thus far from Just Red. You can certainly enjoy it now or cellar for 7+ years.
Tasted: Friday 28th June, 2024 without food and then with over several hours.
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Price: $35
Suggested Drinking Window: 2023 – 2033
Winemaker: Tony and Michael Hassall
Fruit Source: Estate
Oak: French
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