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.
Given the prominence of tomato-based pasta sauces in these parts, another definite reorder option is the 2006 Barbera (RRP $16.90, Epicurean $15.21), which worked extremely well with what we've come to refer to as sugoi! sugo alla bolognese. Pleasant savoury characteristics like most examples of the new Italian varietals, and while I might prefer the 2006 Nero d'Avola that may also be an indication that I've been reading and watching too much Inspector Montalbano recently.
Madam hasn't always been won over by Sangiovese, but the acidity and tannin structure in the 2006 Sangiovese (RRP $18.90, Epicurean $17.01) had her reaching for more when we were attacking another plate of pasta and sugoi! sugo. There were the previously cited savoury characters on display, and while the reorder preference might be headed to the Barbera that's by no means an adverse judgement on the Sangiovese.
We had a pretty fair idea of what to expect from the 2008 Cienna (RRP $13.90, Epicurean $12.51) (based on previous exposure to the Sparkling version, and its still sibling unsurprisingly displayed the same cherry aromas with the hint of sweetness on the palate that makes it a refreshing summer lunch option.
It's another reorder option, based purely on the advisability of having something with the remarkably low alcohol content in the fridge. With a bottle of Cienna on hand and chilled, we might be able to get away with offering guests who happen to be driving something from a second bottle over lunch.
On the other hand, given fairly wide availability, I'm more inclined to head in other directions (Brown Brothers Tarrango, Rockford Alicante Bouchet or Pfeiffer Gamay) when I'm looking for a lunchtime red and resupply the Cienna stock with one from the bottle-o when the bottle in the fridge has been consumed.
Along the way over lunch we also tried the 2006 Pinot Grigio (RRP $17.40, Epicurean $15.66), light, green-tinged yellow in the glass, the regulation citrusy pear notes on the nose and a nicely textured dry palate that combine to make the sort of food-friendly wine that is handy to have on hand.
Based on this selection the actual reorder strategy over any given summer is going to be based around filling in the gaps around what we order from elsewhere rather than the actual characteristics of these wines themselves.
That said, however, there’s definitely a space for all three of the whites as well as the Barbera in Hughesy’s preferred stock options, although, as I said, the actual reality may depend on what else is on hand when the order goes in.
Alternatively, of course, I could adopt the old damn the torpedoes full steam ahead approach - and where the Little House of Concrete is concerned the presence of the bar fridge makes that a definite possibility - but where the unit in Southport is involved discretion (and leaving enough room in the fridge for food) is probably the better part of valour.