2008 Terra Felix Viognier.

Show Awards to date:

Two silver medals and two bronze medals.

This is the second vintage we have made. After nearly having all our grapes destroyed by frost and drought in 2007 we crushed nearly 30 tons of Viognier in 2008. The grapes were developing well but a sustained period of very hot weather meant we had to pick and crush the grapes in a great hurry.(see review)

Winemaker’s notes:

Region: Nagambie, Central Victoria.

Alcohol: 14.0%

No fining, no allergens.

Preservatives: 220 (sulphur dioxide)

Tasting notes:

Lovely scents of spring blossom and jasmine as well as the traditional rich apricot and peach aromas dominate the nose. The palate is a rich mouthfilling experience displaying not just the conventional varietal characters but also a complex array of winemaking derived flavours. The wine has a lengthy palate displaying heady and exotic flavours that leave a lingering finish.

Further Winemaker ramblings:

Viognier is from the aromatic family of grapes and sometimes the aromas can overpower the wine. The 2008 vintage provided grapes packed with tropical rarely seen flavours. This was in part due to the continuing drought and late autumn high temperatures that concentrated the flavours. While often the Viognier flavours express themselves, in seasons like 2008 they can be too much. For this reason I chose to do ‘extra’ winemaking in the form of grape solids inclusion and yeast stirring to try to temper the exuberance of the Viognier grape. The result is a wine that is a little more forward than normal for a Viognier but also a wine that is full of interest yet retains the hallmarks of a varietal Viognier.

Winemaker. Terry Barnett.