Winemaker Notes
The 2006 Last Ditch Viognier is both exotic and beautifully controlled. Mid-straw with green tints, the nose is dominated by ripe apricots alongside fragrant ginger, dried herb and spiced tropical fruits. The viscous palate shows apricot and white peach with herbaceous edges, minerality and soft layered lees characters. The highlight of this wine is its balance of ripe fruit, fresh acidity and gentle grip.
Professional Ratings
Full-figured and charmingly floral, Viognier is one of the most important white grapes of the northern Rhône where it is used both to produce single varietal wines and as an important blending grape. Look for great New World examples from California, Oregon, Washington and cooler parts of Australia. Somm Secret—Viognier plays a surprisingly important role in the red wines of Côte Rôtie in the northern Rhône. About 5% Viognier is typically co-fermented with the Syrah in order to stabilize the color, and as an added benefit, add a subtle perfume.
Known for opulent red wines with intense power and concentration, McLaren Vale is home to perhaps the most “classic” style of Australian Shiraz. Vinified on its own or in Rhône Blends, these hot-climate wines are deeply colored and high in extract with signature hints of dark chocolate and licorice. Cabernet Sauvignon is also produced in a similar style.
Whites, often made from Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc tend to be opulent and full of tropical, stone and citrus fruit.