2017 Yalumba Y Series Viognier (Screwcap)

Yalumba, in Angaston, South Australia, calls itself the country’s oldest winery, It was founded in 1849 by Samuel Smith, an English beer brewer who moved his family to Australia and bought 30 acres of farm land. Smith soon transferred his beer making skills to winemaking and today the fifth generation of the family still owns and operates Yalumba, which got its name from an aboriginal word meaning “all the land around.” The winery makes a large portfolio of wines, including Viognier, Chardonnay, Vermentino, sparkling and dessert wines. But it is especially known for its reds, including Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Grenache. Signature wines include the Cabernet/Shiraz Reserve and the Shiraz Old Vine The Octavius. Robert M. Parker Jr. has called The Octavius “a superb effort that is one of the great old-vine Shiraz cuvees available in the marketplace.”

This is a full-bodied white variety has plenty of natural aromatics such as peach and violets. It’s a low yielding fruit, so it is grown for its taste over its economics. Viognier is considered an ancient grape and an early favorite of the Roman emperors.