Clonakilla Viognier Nouveau 2025

The first impression is of citrussy fruit; forward, juicy, inviting, delicious, all those things. But then the spice notes charge in. And those apricot kernel characters. And that tension between mineral and wood, and by wood I don’t mean oak, I just mean that there’s this deeper inside-the-trunk-of-the-vine note that is more than just pure juice. There’s an elegance to this wine, and an intensity, the latter of which sits right on the cusp of true richness, which is both a terribly difficult place to pitch a wine, and a terribly attractive one. A crushed fennel note added to the finish is yet more evidence that we have here a peak vintage of Clonakilla Viognier Nouveau. You need to slow down a fraction to get the best out of this wine but, that done, it provides exquisite pleasure. 94 points, drink 2025-2030, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front.