The 2009 The Virgilius Viognier has a floral, peach blossom and jasmine scented nose with some ripe apple and fresh apricots notes plus a touch of mace. Full-bodied with medium-high acid, it gives a silky texture, somewhat restrained fruit and a long finish. Delicious now, it should remain fresh through 2013. Remaining one of Australia’s oldest, largest and most prestigious family owned companies, Yalumba’s top wines should not be overlooked amongst the limelight-hogging young-gun wines that have sprung-up around the Barossa in the last 20 years. Some of the region’s finest vineyards are owned or contracted by this company. They’ve also contributed considerably to the quality of vine material available throughout the region with the impressive developments at the Yalumba nursery. Regarding the current releases, The Signature and Octavius won’t be released in 2007. I was informed that in 2008 all their reds were picked before the first week of March but there were no single site wines made in 2008 because it was felt the fruit wasn’t expressing the sites. 2009 was a good year and everything will be released, though winemaker Louisa Rose confessed that their early maturing Shiraz suffered the most in the 2009 heat spike.Importer: Negociants USA, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 259-0993

Yalumba’s flagship Viognier is a broad, powerful wine, with pineapple and apricot flavors marked by hints of floral perfume and spice. Not quite as aromatically expressive as the Eden Valley bottling, it may be a touch denser and more concentrated, with potential to evolve through 2014 or so.——J.C.(5/1/2011)—— 89