Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier, Victoria (Australia) Shiraz – Viognier 2013

Fifteen years ago, Rhône vigneron Michel Chapoutier and U.S. wine producer Tony Terlato began collaborating on an Australian wine estate to produce French-inspired Syrah.  The current release, the 2013 vintage, is very good quality, delightful to drink, and an amazing value.  Although labeled “Shiraz-Viognier,” this wine is 95 percent Syrah with only 5 percent of white Viognier grapes in the mix — as is traditional in parts of France’s Rhone Valley — to enhance the perfume, color stability, complexity and freshness of the red wine.  The wine’s aroma has notes of raspberry and other red fruits with a slight floral nuance.  In your mouth, the wine is full-bodied and very fruity, with spicy notes accenting its fruitiness, as well as a modest amount of grippy tannin that contributes character.  This is a wine that should please wine drinkers who are drawn to fresh, fruity reds but also those who expect a wine to be well structured, true to varietal character, and balanced.