Category:
 
Red Wines
Sub-Category:  
 
Red Wines
Producer:
 
Clonakilla
Label Name:
 
Shiraz Viognier
Vintage:
 
2015
Country:
 
Australia
Region:
 
Canberra District, New South Wales
Volume:
 
750ml
ABV:
 
14.3%
Grape(s):
 
Shiraz (≈95%) / Viognier (≈5.5%)
Acidity:
 
4
Tannins:
 
3
Sweetness:
 
1
Body:
 
5
Length:
 
5
Aroma Intensity:
 
5
Best Temperature:
 
16-18°C

Awards/Ratings
James Suckling 99 (Nick Stock) ; Joe Czerwinski (Robert Parker/Vinous) 96. ; Mike Bennie/The Wine Front 97. ; Vinous 94. ; James Halliday 98

Tasting Note
Perfumed violet and spice with ripe red and black fruits, white pepper, licorice and olive-savoury notes; silky, fine-grained tannins and a long, mineral-tinged finish.

Food Pairing
Western: roast lamb, beef bourguignon, aged hard cheeses, venison. Asian: Sichuan pepper beef, char siu, Korean BBQ short ribs, braised beef noodle soup, hoisin-glazed duck.

Production Method
Co-fermented Shiraz with ~5.5% Viognier; 20–30% whole-bunch (2015 ~30%) fermentation; 12 months in tight-grain French oak barriques (35% new).

Vineyard Info
Clonakilla, founded by John Kirk (1971) in Murrumbateman; Tim Kirk produces the flagship Shiraz–Viognier from estate vineyards at ~600m elevation, famed for perfumed, Burgundian-influenced Shiraz.