Meerea Park Hunter Valley Viognier 2007

Wine Notes
Region: Hunter Valley

Background:
The 2007 is our 9th vintage of Viognier, the first release being from the 1999 vintage. It was previously named ‘Lindsay Hill’ until the 2003 vintage. Viognier is native to the Condrieu appellation in the Northern Rhone Valley, which shares the similar low fertility soils, and dry vintage conditions of the Upper Hunter.

Fruit Source:
Two Upper Hunter vineyards provided the fruit for this wine. The two main Viognier clones available in Australia being ’Yarra Yering’ and ’Montpellier’ are both used to enhance blending options.

Fermentation & Maturation:
The fruit was hand picked and 100 % was barrel fermented in French oak of which 25% was new. The wine was allowed to remain on yeast lees for 6 months and then bottled under screwcap in November 2007.

Winemakers Comments:
2007 was another great Viognier vintage in the Hunter Valley. Viognier loves the warm ripening conditions, much like its Cote Rotie stable mate, Shiraz. The Viognier harvest was earlier than normal and without any rainfall producing fruit with standout varietal character.

An intense aromatic nose oozing tropical fruit salad and quince. The palate is rich, full flavoured and juicy. It has wonderful length of flavour and the fine acid structure keeps the palate balanced and fresh.

Cellaring: Short to medium term.


What the experts say
"Brash and obvious with juicy stonefruit, tropical fruits, quince, vanilla and roasted nuts. On the palate medium to full bodied with good rich flavours of slightly candied stone and tropical fruit, spice and supporting vanilla oak. It has a lightly slippery glycerol mouthfeel with balanced acidity and a dry spicy finish of good length. Good wine. Smart price". Rated : 91 Points.

Gary Walsh—Winorama—March 2008.