2024 Inkwell Blonde on Blonde Viognier

93 pts
Top value Viognier with complexity and, believe it or not, freshness.

Price:
Sale price$30.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
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Description

Inkwell is Dudley Brown and Irina Santiago-Brown's certified organic operation on California Road in McLaren Vale. They are pioneers in sustainable viticulture, and the wines are made with wild yeast, minimal sulphur, and nothing else added. 

This Viognier comes from 22 year-old vines in sandy soil over ironstone. 90% was aged for six months in neutral French oak hogsheads, with a small portion on skins for texture.  The nose is full of white peach, honeysuckle, fresh ginger, citrus blossom. It's bright and silky on the palate with real length, avoiding the oily direction Viognier can often go.

This is the kind of wine that makes you reconsider what this grape is capable of, and another delicious bargain from this criminally underrated producer.

93 points - "The more classic viognier in the Inkwell playbook, but hardly classic in the scheme of things. A little skin contact on 10%, with the rest direct pressed to older oak, bottled unfined and unfiltered, yielding a gentle haze and a complex skein of flavour and texture. Apricot, orange – fresh and dried peel – orchard blossom, ground ginger. Nothing shouty, aromatic but showing restraint. This has a minerality underpinning, the texture built on serpentine viscosity, with a pleasingly vivid finish." - Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)

From 22-year-old vines rooted in sandy soil over ironstone and ancient Pirramimma Sandstone, Inkwell’s 2024 “Blonde on Blonde” Viognier is a pure, aromatic and textural expression of McLaren Vale’s coastal light and complex geology.

Fermented with wild yeasts, 90% of the wine matured for six months in neutral French oak hogsheads to build texture and harmony without adding oak flavour. A small portion was fermented on skins until dry, lending gentle structure and a savoury undertone. No additions or corrections were made; only the minimum effective sulphur was added at bottling.

Tasting Note:
The 2024 vintage opens with lifted aromas of white peach, honeysuckle and fresh ginger, layered with subtle citrus blossom and a hint of wet-stone minerality. The palate is bright, silky and precise, carrying ripe stone-fruit flavours and a long, graceful finish. This is Viognier with poise — fresh and aromatic yet beautifully textured.

Serve lightly chilled (10–12 °C) to highlight its fragrance and supple mouthfeel. Perfect for a glass on a sunny day or alongside salt-and-pepper squid, classic fish and chips, crackling pork belly, green salads, creamy pasta or pizza.

With time, Blonde on Blonde will deepen into a richer, more honeyed and gently nutty expression. Enjoy now or cellar for up to 12 years to watch its texture and savoury complexity unfold.

Price Bracket $30 or Less
Type White
Body Full Bodied
Variety Viognier
Country Australia
Region McLaren Vale
Australian State SA
Feature Organic
Women in Wine
Reviewed By Halliday Wine Companion
Critic Score 93
Alcohol 13%
Size 750ml

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