Clonakilla 2022 Shiraz Viognier

 

Red wine blended with some white? It sounded absurd when it was first mooted. But the folk in the Rhone Valley know a bit about wine - and the Kirk family were happy to follow in the footsteps of their experience when they launched what was to become an Australian wine benchmark back in 1992. Dr John Kirk planted a small amount of viognier at his Murrumbateman vineyard near Canberra in the mid 1980s and in 1992 his son, Tim, co-fermented a small batch of the viognier fruit with shiraz. An Australian benchmark wine was born. The new-release 2022 is one of the finest over the 30-year period. From a cool vintage in a cool region this is intense, spicy, beautifully balanced at just 13% alcohol. Complex, pretty and completely satisfying. Think a professional dancer: core strength but lightness of foot. $120 - and worth it. Perhaps a Father's Day gift. 97 points. www.clonakilla.com.au