Medium straw color; peach, tangerine, ginger, honeysuckle, white flowers, orange blossom on vivid nose; white peach, apricot, lemon, tangerine on the palate.
Dry; light-medium, viscous body; good acidity (3.36). Grapes gently pressed and juice handled with controlled oxidation. Fermented in stainless steel using wild yeast. Vegan—no animal products used in fining or other phases of production. No malolactic fermentation. Aged three months on the lees for extra complexity, richness, creaminess. The winery holds an EPA Accredited Sustainability License. Louisa Rose was the winemaker. 13.5% ABV
The winery notes of its history and direction: “Established in 1849, Yalumba is Australia’s most historic family owned wine company. It remains fiercely independent and extremely progressive through the generational ownership by the Hill-Smith family. Yalumba’s longevity and success is a result of patience, collaboration and progressive thinking. There is foresight to embrace the natural terroir to craft wines with individual character and a sense of purpose, a spirit to reinvest in the land upon which it operates and knowledge to behave as a leader in the industry. It is committed to sharing stories of provenance gathered over more than 168 years of history of family winemaking.”
The winery continues: “At Yalumba we continually strive to reduce our impact on the environment, stay involved in our community, and make great wine with minimal intervention in the vineyard and in the winery. We are committed to sustainable practices, with the belief that the healthier and more biodiverse the vineyards are the better the wines will be. Yalumba has been developing its own sustainable viticulture program since the mid 1990s, promoting the economic production of quality grapes . For every hectare of vineyard we own, we have at least one hectare of native vegetation. Our winemaking philosophy and practice means that our wines are made with the least intervention possible but with as much knowledge, confidence and expertise as possible.”
Yalumba The Y Series Viognier, South Australia 2021 is delicious and with admirable complexity and depth for a pour at this price point. Very aromatic. Rich, silky, creamy, soft, succulent. The “Y Series” is Yalumba’s entry-level brand, but this effort punches above that weight. Excellent value at this price point, or at higher price. Well worth exploring. Pair with chicken, turkey; poached salmon; almond-flavored dishes; crispy rice pancakes with potato and chickpeas; pasta dishes with alfredo sauce; cheese-stuffed ravioli. Cheese—creamy cheese; triple-cream brie, déllce de Bourgogne, gorgonzola. $12-15
