2008 Fire Gully Shiraz Viognier (Margaret River, Sample)

The frustrating thing about this Shiraz Viognier is that it could have been a really nice wine. The 9% co fermented Viognier is actually in no way overpowering (as I actually find with much Australian Shiraz Viognier), and provides the wine with nice lifted aromas. The wine however, is ultimately marred by alcohol heat and bitterness.

The nose presents some lifted aromas of plum, cherry, chocolate oak and a touch of meatiness, however there is also a hint of the issues that are to come. If you rest the wine just on the front palate you get a sense of what a nice wine it could have been with many of the same tasty flavours presenting themselves very nicely. From the mid palate however, bitterness and a sense of heat becomes distracting and dominant. I gave the wine a couple of days to try and sort itself out, but it never did. I don’t mind bitterness in some wines and I’m certainly no alcohol wuss, but in both instances they are too dominant in this wine.

Rated:


RRP: $24
ABV: 14.5%
Website: www.firegully.com.au


Red