Category: | Red Wines |
Sub-Category: | Red Wines |
Producer: | Clonakilla |
Label Name: | Shiraz Viognier |
Vintage: | 2016 |
Country: | Australia |
Region: | Canberra District (Murrumbateman), New South Wales |
Volume: | 750ml |
ABV: | 14% |
Grape(s): | Shiraz (approx. 94%) and Viognier (approx. 6%) |
Acidity: | 4 |
Tannins: | 3 |
Sweetness: | 1 |
Body: | 4 |
Length: | 5 |
Aroma Intensity: | 5 |
Best Temperature: | 16-18°C |
Awards/Ratings
Halliday Wine Companion 98 pts (James Halliday); Langton's Classification: 'Exceptional' (elevated 2010); widely praised by critics (Jancis Robinson, Wall Street Journal)
Tasting Note
Perfumed red and black fruits with violets, jasmine and white pepper; spiced plum and blackberry palate, silky fine-grained tannins, mineral-driven savoury oak and a long, piercing finish.
Food Pairing
Western: roasted lamb, chargrilled steak, duck, venison, mushroom risotto. Asian: Peking duck, char siu pork, Korean BBQ, spicy Sichuan beef, miso-glazed aubergine.
Production Method
Shiraz co-fermented with ~5–6% Viognier, ~20–25% whole-bunch inclusion, 3–4 week maceration on skins; matured ~12 months in French oak (≈25% new).
Vineyard Info
Founded by Dr John Kirk (1971) at Murrumbateman. Tim Kirk is winemaker; estate vineyards on granitic soils at ~600m. Clonakilla pioneered the Shiraz–Viognier style in Australia.