Stone fruit

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Askerne Viognier

Name: Askerne Viognier 750ml
SKU: 119470
Price: 22.99 NZD
Availability: OutOfStock

Wine · New Zealand · 750ml · 13%

$22.99each

What it tastes like

An aromatic New Zealand white with apricot, peach and floral notes. Smooth and textured.

Stone fruit

Additional information

Wine
Style: New Zealand
Origin: 750ml
Size: 13% ABV
Alcohol: 0.8 per bottle
Standard drinks

The story of Askerne Viognier

Viognier is the white grape of the northern Rhône, where it is the only variety permitted in Condrieu, and it needs a long, warm season to ripen properly. Askerne grows it in Havelock North, Hawke's Bay, on an estate that John and Kathryn Loughlin founded in 1993.

Kathryn ran the vineyard while John worked in finance to fund the venture, and the first wines were made in 1996 at the winery of John's father. Askerne finished its own purpose-built winery in 2004. The Loughlin family still runs the estate, and the Viognier has won gold medals in recent vintages.

In the winery most of the juice is fermented in French oak barrels for texture and richness, with a smaller part kept in tank to hold the fragrance. The wine then rests on its lees in barrel. The result smells of jasmine, fresh apricot and mandarin peel, with gingerbread spice and a hint of toasted brioche, and the palate is textured and opulent. It suits crab, scallops in a cream sauce or a mild chicken curry.