Yalumba The Virgilius Viognier – The Virgilius is Yalumba’s most distinguished Viognier – a wine that shows power with restraint. As Yalumba’s most premium and enchanting white wine, it is loved by wine lovers looking for something beyond the more conventional offering.
After 35 years we believe that the Eden Valley has proved its place as one of the great homes of Viognier. The ‘new’ clones, imported by the Yalumba nursery, are starting to mature and bear fruit that we can compare to each other and our established vineyards. While not enough volume or vine age for The Virgilius yet, the diversity of this material will help us to look at further planting material.
Handpicked grapes were whole-bunch pressed directly to mature French oak barriques, where they were fermented by ‘wild’ or indigenous yeasts occurring naturally in the vineyard. These wild yeasts play a small and subtly different part in the development of the wine, creating layers of richness, complexity, fine textures and flavours. After fermentation the wine was aged on lees with regular batonnage for ten months to further heighten the palate weight and increase the complexity and flavour generosity.
The nose has intense aromas of early season just picked apricots, cardamom, white pepper and fresh ginger. Lifted ginger spice is layered on the palate with mineral sourdough like texture and complex apricots and almond savouriness. The trademark Viognier lusciousness of the palate is clearly evident in this wine. It is complex while at the same time showing purity and restraint that will unwind slowly in the glass and take the imbiber on a sensory journey. At its best with food, The Virgilius complements a wide range of flavours, particularly dishes with spice and rich flavours. Try with poached pike perch; grilled sirloin and chips; beef rendang; pan fried herb stuffed mushrooms; or fresh gnocchi with olive oil and shaved truffles.
In 1847 a 37-year-old brewer called Samuel Smith left his home in Wareham, Dorset with his wife Mary and their four children. Boarding a simple three-masted barque they left Plymouth and began the long and arduous journey to Australia, arriving in Port Adelaide. From there they trecked north to Angaston where Samuel took a job as a gardener. It was arguably this brave decision to start a new life in a remote and distant land, together with the hardship that they endured, that formed the strong sense of family unity that has been the bedrock of the family business ever since. In 1849 he started the wine farm that would grow over the next 5 generations to become one of Australia’s leading wineries, with a winemaking culture that is internationally recognised and respected. To embrace the native culture, Samuel decided to adopt a local name for his farm, calling it “Yalumba” meaning “all the country around’’ in the indigenous Peramangk language.
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Yalumba The Virgilius Viognier
£50.00 a bottle
2 in stock
Yalumba, founded in 1849 by Samuel Smith, is Australia’s oldest family owned winery. Today, the winery is owned by fifth generation descendants, Robert & Sam Hill Smith and their families.
Yalumba is determined to create wines with genuine regional character, varietal flavour and individual personality; wines that say remarkable things about some of the world’s most remarkable wine regions.
The Eden Valley is between 400 and 600 metres in the Barossa Range, part of the Mount Lofty Range. It shares it historical roots with the Barossa Valley. Yalumba has substantial vineyard holdings, and a winery at Angaston, the site of the first vines planted by founder Samuel Smith in 1849. The cool climate provides ideal conditions for the production of high quality Riesling, Chardonnay and Shiraz wine.
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