150 Church Road,
Taradale,
Hawke's Bay
New Zealand
Ph: +64 6 844 2053
Fax: +64 6 844 3378
info@churchroad.co.nz
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Accessibilty Features
©2006
Viognier is a grape variety that originates from France’s Northern Rhone Valley, where it produces the full bodied aromatic white wines of Condrieu. True to style this rich wine was hand harvested from our Redstone Vineyard and vinified using traditional winemaking techniques
print-friendly version (requires Acrobat)
Release date: June 2006
Variety: Viognier
Region: Ngatarawa Triangle, Hawke's Bay
A powerful, full bodied white wine that blends the aromatics of ripe Viognier with the extra richness and complexity derived from sensitive winemaking.
Colour: Pale straw.
Aromas: The fruit brings opulent apricot, honeysuckle and spice to the aromatics, with savoury, mealy complexity coming from fermentation and subsequent lees ageing in older French oak barriques.
Palate: A rich full bodied wine with great mid palate concentration and length of flavour that echo the aromatics. A small proportion of malolactic fermentation adds textural interest and a softer acid structure.
Drink now to enjoy the fresh aromatics, or cellar carefully for several years to develop more honeyed fruit and greater complexity.
Vineyard Manager: Neil Watson
The fruit was picked based on flavour development. This often occurs at very high sugar levels in the Viognier grape.
Brix at harvest: 24°
Winemakers: Wendy Potts
The grapes were hand harvested and very gently whole bunch pressed to avoid extracting aggressive phenolics from the skins. The juice was briefly settled and then fermented in older French barriques. The wine remained on yeast lees for approximately 5 months with regular stirring to add palate richness and complexity of flavour. A small proportion of the blend underwent malolactic fermentation.
Over recent years, the Church Road winemaking team have continued to develop a style of increased complexity across our wines. An almost French influence is emerging which places greater emphasis on complexity and texture rather than relying simply on fruit and oak for their appeal.
Alcohol: 14% by volume
pH: 3.36
Total acidity: 5.9 g/L as tartaric
* currently available vintage(s)
Top of page