Berton Vineyard Winemakers Reserve Viognier

A fresh and citrussy wine with discreet aromas of nectarine and peach, complemented by floral nuances of jasmine.

Producer Note

Established by Bob and Cherie Berton in May 1996, Berton Vineyard is one of Hallgarten's most important partners. The estate covers 30 hectares of land located on gently rolling hills at 450 metres above sea level, in a sub-region of Eden Valley in South Australia. The superb Reserve Shiraz and Reserve Chardonnay wines are still sourced from this plot. In 2007, Bob purchased the Yenda winery in the heart of the Riverina. This state-of- the-art facility has the capacity to process 20,000 tonnes and enables Berton Vineyard to produce value for money wines which sit alongside their premium single vineyard offerings.

Vineyard

The grapes come from Riverina vineyards surrounding the townships of Griffith and Yenda. The vines are grown in a warm continental climate with mostly dry ripening periods, which provide excellent conditions for grape cultivation. Deep, fertile loam soils provide a great base for healthy vines and grapes with abundance of flavour.  Efficient irrigation methods supply water from the Murrumbidgee River in gravity fed channel systems. The Viognier blocks are set up on a double wire trellis, allowing good air penetration and bunch distribution, whilst providing protection from sunburn. This system also allows good machinery and manual access during pruning, spraying and harvest.

Winemaking

Harvested in the cool of the night in retaining freshness and minimising oxidation, the fruit was immediately pressed. The juice was clarified before a slow fermentation at cool temperatures of 14 to 16°C. A six to eight week maturation on yeast lees built mid palate weight and aided the expression of soft creamy notes. The wine was stabilised, blended and filtered for prior to bottling. The wine was matured in bottle for a further four months.

Tasting Note

This alluring Viognier displays lifted aromas of nectarine and peach, complemented by floral nuances of jasmine and orange blossom. Flavours intensify on the palate with soft fleshy mandarin and marmalade fruit coming to the fore. The wine finishes with moderate length and hints of baked apple and spice.

Serving Suggestion

Delicious with battered fresh fish and chips, prawns, scallops or creamy pasta.

Grape

Viognier 100%