Rhone Rangers ride again

Yering Station Marsanne Viognier Rousanne, $40

You can always count on the Australians to surprise you with their experimental spirit.

From a country that was once known for its bombastic Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz wines, the image of Australian wines is no longer that of 'one size fits all' - if you know where to look, that is.

For example, Italian varietals have been planted with gusto by wine producer Gary Crittenden.
The Italian fervour is not surprising, considering the massive number of Italian immigrants in Australia, although Australian wines made from Italian grapes are still a far cry from those in their homeland.
Another recent trend that has been making waves is the rise of Rhone Valley (a wine region in southern France) blends.

A few years ago, the fashionable white grape, Viognier, started appearing in many Australian Shirazes.
The aromatic grape from France is much celebrated in Condrieu, an area in Northern Rhone, where the wines are made from 100 per cent Viognier.

It is also used in the Cote Rotie region in Rhone, where up to 20 per cent Viognier can be used to blend with Shiraz.

With my recent discovery of Yering Station's Marsanne Viognier Rousanne (MVR), a typically white blend from Northern Rhone areas such as Hermitage and St Joseph, the Rhone influence seems to be extending.

The Marsanne white grape is also often used to blend with red wines, and is more favoured than the Roussane, which can be quite a difficult grape to grow.

The characteristics of MVRs are usually a good mix of savoury and floral characteristics, which is a nice change from the usual over-oaked Chardonnays.

Winemakers in the New World who have been bitten by the Rhone bug have already earned themselves the nickname 'Rhone Rangers'.  The Rhone influence is no surprise considering that the award-winning winemaker Tom Carson has worked globally.

The open-minded young winemaker, who is in his early 30s, packed his bags for Burgundy - the mecca of Pinot Noir - after he discovered the potential for producing Pinot Noir in Australia. His other Rhone-influenced wine, the Shiraz-Viognier, is also characteristically un-Australian, with an aromatic nose and elegance.

As the oldest vineyard in the Victoria region in Australia, Yering Station has come a long way.  When it first started in 1837, only grapes such as Hamburg and Sweetwater were planted. Today, its 100ha of vineyards are not just planted with international, but also Rhone Valley grapes. And this progress is unmistakably the Australian spirit.

Taste test
A nice mix of savoury and floral notes with a nice oily, rounded texture.
Pair with Calamari, scallop sashimi, steamed crab.
Available at Bacchus wine shop (B1-13 Paragon Shopping Centre, 290 Orchard Road, tel: 6734-4844/6235-6562)