Methode Traditionnelle

Chardonnay

Sauvignon Blanc

Aromatic

Dessert Wine

Rose

Red Wine

Saint Clair East Coast Viognier 2007

For this week’s wine I have chosen an aromatic white, namely Viognier. In this Saint Clair version, I have also chosen a wine where most of the fruit is sourced from outside the company’s vineyards in Marlborough, with fruit coming from the North Island.

Saint Clair’s Viognier combines fruit from quality sites in the Gisborne region with a small crop from Marlborough. The fruit was harvested at optimum ripeness in the cool of the evening. Once the fruit reached the winery, it was pressed as quickly as possible to ensure fruit flavour was preserved and a press cut was made to ensure there were no harsh phenolics in the wine.

Following the settling period, the clear juice was racked to stainless steel tanks, where it was fermented at cool temperatures using a selected yeast strain so that fruit flavour and freshness was retained.

I found this mid gold coloured wine to have aromas of citrus zest and honey with perhaps a hint of pineapple and peach blossom. On the palate I found this soft and fruity wine to have delicious flavours of ripe orange, honey and apricot combined with subtle hints of grapefruit and pineapple. It is a well balanced wine that is easy to drink and with a long lingering finish. It is drinking well now.

I would recommend scallops or chicken cooked with Chinese Five Spice powder to accompany this wine.

Reviewed by Stephen Clark (12/10/2009)

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