Viognier came dangerously close to disappearing. By 1965, only about eight hectares, or roughly 20 acres, remained worldwide. Today, the grape is experiencing a comeback, and Yalumba played a major role in establishing it in Australia.
This week, we taste the 2022 Yalumba Samuel’s Collection Viognier from Eden Valley. At around $24, it delivers lime, stone fruit, melon, vanilla, minerality, and a rich texture that keeps evolving in the glass.
We explore why growers nearly abandoned Viognier, how a handful of producers kept it alive, and whether this bottle proves that the difficult grape was worth saving. Then we finish with our ratings and another round of Grape Guesses.
Wine featured:
Yalumba Samuel’s Collection Viognier
Vintage: 2022
Region: Eden Valley, Australia
Grape: 100% Viognier
ABV: 13.5%
Price: Approximately $24
This bottle was provided by Winebow Fine Wine + Spirits. Our opinions remain our own.
Winebow Website
https://www.winebow.com/
Winebow Yalumba Information Page
https://www.winebow.com/our-brands/yalumba
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Chapters
00:00 The Wine Grape That Almost Disappeared
00:20 Welcome and This Week’s Wine
01:32 Yalumba Viognier Details
03:22 First Sips
03:51 Lime, Stone Fruit and an Oily Texture
06:10 Colin Detects the Oak
07:22 What Makes This White Wine Different?
09:11 A Mix of Familiar White-Wine Styles
10:54 Was Viognier Worth Saving?
12:01 Why Growers Abandoned the Grape
13:15 How Yalumba Helped Bring It Back
16:20 Final Ratings: A Triple Must Share?
21:57 Grape Guesses29:46 Outro
