Churchview Limited Release Wild Fermented Viognier 2024
- 91
- $32
- Drink by: 2026-2028
Share
West Aussie Viognier is not a variety we commonly encounter, but this is a thoroughly enjoyable one, and hopefully this wine is a harbinger of things to come. Fermented with natural yeast, the wine gives us the exuberant aromatic profile that is the key to so many good examples of this grape. Deep yellow/straw in colour, this has a soft and appealing texture. The nose gives us notes of apricot skins, ginger, citrus and lemongrass, exactly what we would expect. This is a drink-early style, quite seamless in structure, of medium length with good freshness throughout. That said, if you did cellar for a year or two, it would not be the end of the world.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
