International Viognier Day deserves this Yalumba The Virgilius Viognier 2022

While I have exactly zero time for grape days, today I present the grandest way to celebrate International Viognier Day with the seriously world-class Yalumba The Virgilius Viognier 2022.

As I talked about on Viognier Day two years ago, Yalumba goes deeper on Viognier than nearly anyone. A labour of love? Maybe, but this, and the rest of the Yalumba Viognier range, has an extra level of detail that screams passion project, and the world is better for it.

What I like about Virgilius is the width. It’s full-bodied, full-flavoured and proud to be a Viognier. Grapes are picked ripe, the juice spends 10 months in French oak, and the expression is indulgently stonefruity. Apricot skin is my call this vintage, if purely because Viognier like this has some phenolic punch, much like you get for a chewy, just-ripe apricot skin. There’s a creaminess to the palate here, too, but not in a new oak obvious way, just a sensation of creamy generosity. I see sunny peach/orange fruit in there, too, that runs the whole length of the palate, again proudly Viognierian (yes, that’s a word), and this vintage has a great balance between opulence and sufficient acidity.

Virgilius isn’t for everyone; indeed, ripe Viognier isn’t for everyone (and I’ve been known to call it the v-weed due to how it can ruin Shiraz), but gee I like this expression. The perfect wine for Viognier Day, it’s a masterful and enjoyable expression of the grape.

THE VERDICT

• Best drinking: now and for a good five years as a start
• Score (out of 20): 18.7
• Score (out of 100): 95
• Alcohol %: 13.5
• RRP (in $AUD): 54
• Winery website: https://www.yalumba.com/
• Would I buy it?: absolutely