There were scheduling problems when the order went in, and the box arrived at the end of the relevant stay, but when we arrived a week before the Elvis Costello concert in mid-October 2009 there were a couple of chilled bottles waiting so that we could cut the dust of the trail. The preferred dinner option turned out to have morphed into a chicken, fish and chips emporium (it had previously been a noodle-based Asian outlet), so dinner for Hughesy, given an unwillingness to expend too much time and energy on considering alternatives that aren't overly thick on the ground right in the neighbourhood after eight o'clock on a Sunday night, turned out to be a frozen package Dad had installed in the freezer as a rainy day measure should something interrupt the flow of Meals on Wheels. We'd lunched at Sorbello's in Mackay, so Madam wasn't hungry, but she did opt for a relaxing glass and joined me over a bottle of the 2008 Viognier (RRP $16.90, Epicurean $15.21).
Now, I have to admit that I like Viognier. The Shiraz Viognier blends are almost invariably interesting, but its a variety that has plenty to offer as a stand alone bottling. I'd worked my way through a dozen from Tahbilk and tried various others around the traps over the past four years or so. Not a lot, but enough to have an idea of what the grape has to offer. The Brown Brothers 2008 Viognier is, I think, arguably the best example of the variety that I've tried to date. It's still, at this stage, a Cellar Door Release while Brown Brothers tweak things to come up with the right combination of fruit source and winemaking technique, and they've been working on it since 1999.
I don't think they'll be working on it all that much longer.
The fruit's sourced from the high-altitude Banksdale vineyard in the King Valley, and there's a small barrel fermented component to add complexity to the cool climate acidity and aromatics. With a heady nose of aromatic peach and apricot and a rounded palate, the wine deserved something better than the night’s meal option, but with another bottle on hand and suitable grocery items in stock, I think I'll be able to do better next time. Highly recommended and one to bear in mind when it comes to the next order from Brown Brothers.
Having arrived after dark on a Sunday night, a predictable task for Monday morning was a grocery run, and Madam's sighting of a relatively expensive smoked salmon meant that her lunch was more or less sorted out. After the grocery run we raided the Gold Coast Library (we're rate payers so why not?) and Madam set out to t'other supermarket to pick up a few odds and ends that weren't in evidence at the first place.
Returning to the unit she expressed an interest in a glass of wine, and, given what was on the lunch menu I suggested the Vermentino (RRP $15.90, Epicurean $14.31), one of the Mediterranean varieties increasingly finding their way into Australian vineyards. The Brown Brothers tasting notes described the wine as delicate, crisp and refreshing which sounded about right for a smoked salmon lunch.
Pale almost clear straw yellow in the glass, a quick sniff showed considerable promise, with pleasant aromatics and notes of apricot and pear. Those flavours came through on the palate as well, with some green apple and a refreshing acidity. Very nice indeed (and Madam concurred). Another one to bear in mind when we're restocking the unit, and it'd go down rather well in most summer lunch situations.
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