Yalumba Y Series, Viognier, 2020 (Australia)
We generally associate the Viognier grape with Condrieu in the Northern Rhône region of France. It’s one of those connections that go together like a horse and carriage, much like Malbec and Cahors, or Chenin Blanc and Vouvray. But of course, the grapes are not unique to those places so perhaps it should come as no surprise to find a Viognier from Australia.
A typical Condrieu Viognier is an aromatic wine with wafts of honeysuckle that transport you to Provence, followed by stone fruit flavours of apricot and peach. Heady and rich, the wines might not be to everyone’s taste.
But this South Australian Yalumba Y is a lighter, fresher variant of Viognier which retains the stone fruit flavours but also has more citrussy flavours, too. It is also lighter on the aromatics and has more vibrant acidity.
This is a dry, medium-bodied wine with medium acidity and a lengthy finish. It has orange blossom on the nose, and apple and grapefruit as well as peach and nectarine on the palate. We had it with salmon but it will also go well with a creamy chicken dish or a tagine.
Available from Majestic, Sainsbury’s, Co-op.