Unquestionably Australia’s flagship Viognier, and has been for many years, the Virgilius sits comfortably with the best made on the planet (and is usually significantly better buying). From the Eden Valley, this comes from the team’s oldest Viognier vines – they first planted this variety back in 1980 when there seemed every chance that it would slide into extinction. This vintage spent ten months in French oak. A pale lemon hue, this is beautifully aromatic. No escaping the grape though – Viognier is as distinctive as Gewürztraminer, when well made. There is ginger and lemongrass here, but most especially apricot, along with mandarins, nectarines and a touch of orange rind. We also have aromas of spices and a touch of limes. Such balance and length! A superb Viognier/Virgilius, which surely has at least six to ten years ahead of it.

Yalumba's wizardry with Viognier is declared most profoundly in the coolest seasons, of which 2023 is one of the finest since its vines were planted in 1980. I love its cool energy and elegant restraint, and yet its confidence in projecting inimitable varietal identity in apricot kernel, ginger and pink grapefruit. Texturally, this is a marvel, at once zesty and vibrant and at the same time mesmerisingly silky, slippery and succulent, concluding with the perfect clip of impeccably polished phenolic tension. Go long on this one.

Heady aromas of stone fruit, ripe melon, honey, magnolia, nuts and spice. Rich, opulent, concentrated and mouth-filling, with a drive of stone fruit, nutty spice and creaminess. Long, layered, balanced and sophisticated gear.

The 2023 The Virgilius Viognier leads with lemon verbena, clary sage, green apricots and almonds. The wine is tight, and there's an apricot marmalade character on the back palate, but texturally, the wine has both phenolic structure (lean, this year) and an oily slick commensurate with the variety. There's an almandine character on the back palate, and the wine feels very tightly coiled right now. It's a wine with a long and proud history. It matured for 10 months in French oak. 12.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

Heady aromas of stone fruit, ripe melon, honey, magnolia, nuts and spice. Rich, opulent, concentrated and mouth-filling, with a drive of stone fruit, nutty spice and creaminess. Long, layered, balanced and sophisticated gear.

2023 was a cooler year, and the season presented good opportunity for aromatic whites, says winemaker Louisa Rose. The Virgilius that was produced this season is a classic iteration. The wine is not from one single vineyard, although it does predominantly come from one vineyard planted in 1980 in Angaston, which is around 380 meters in elevation. The Viognier loves the extra fertility in the soils here. The part of Angaston—Eden Valley—that the vineyard is in is old orchard country. The fruit is picked and pressed directly to mature oak puncheons. The wine sits on its full lees for around nine or 10 months, unless a barrel selection reveals the more tightly wound and focused examples. This is refined and driven by fine phenolics, with emerging width through the finish that is most attractive and very smart. Although I first tasted and reviewed this wine only a month ago, I subsequently had the opportunity to taste the Yalumba wines with winemaker Louisa Rose in Perth, so I decided to write a new review for this wine based on that tasting. 12.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

An effusive white, with orange blossom, apple, peach and fresh ginger flavors that are generous, plump and juicy. A firm backbone of acidity and spices leaves plenty of room for the flavors to expand on the generous finish. Drink now. 700 cases made, 100 cases imported.

An oh-so-Viognier perfume lures the senses with heady notes of honeysuckle, cherry blossom, a white peach, lemon curd and white pepper. One you manage to pry your nostrils from the glass to take a sip, you're met with a fulsome, mouth-filling palate that's creamy but never heavy or syrupy, those floral and fruit notes flowing more subtly to the finish. Pair with buttered chicken or a Thai curry.

Double Gold - Class 3 Aromatic Whites