Clonakilla Viognier Nouveau 2025
- 93
- $35
- Drink by: 2025-2028
Share
From the Canberra region, fermentation was in stainless steel with bottling soon after, the idea to capture the youth and exuberance that the variety can offer as a young (in this case, very young) wine. Tim Kirk has expressed great excitement over the 2025 vintage for his region, noting it seems to ‘brim with energy’. Yes, I know, winemakers will often overhype a vintage but I doubt Tim has ever told a porky in his life. So you can be sure, this is a vintage to watch. A shimmering pale lemon hue. This very young but utterly delightful wine is beautifully fragrant; there are notes of lemongrass, florals, stone fruits and ginger. Fresh, with a minerally backing, there is an underlying line of acidity. Finely balanced, the wine is of medium to good length and will provide absolute joy over the next two to three years.
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.
