Yalumba Y Series
Viognier 2021
If ever there was a wine-geek, cork-dork wine, Viognier would be it. Part of its initial appeal to wine geeks was that it was rare. In 1985, Jancis Robinson noted in her famous book, Vines, Grapes & Wines, that she could only identify records of 80 acres planted in the entire world. Almost all of that was in the Northern Rhone Valley. The precise historical origin of the varietal is unknown, but many believe it dates back to the Roman Empire. According to one story, Emperor Probus imported Viognier into Condrieu in the Northern Rhone from Dalmatia (present-day Croatia) in 281 AD to replace the vineyards destroyed by Emperor Vespasian. Legend has it that Vespasian tore up the vineyards after the locals revolted, a revolt which he attributed to drinking too much of the native wine. Today there are 14,000 acres of Viognier vines in France, mainly in the Rhone Valley, and 40,000 acres as of 2016 planted worldwide. Not so rare anymore.
The other part of Viognier’s initial appeal was the wine had weight and complexity that appealed to the Chardonnay crowd and floral aromatics and tropical fruit that appealed to the Riesling, Muscat mob. Somms loved it because of the glamorous food they could pair it with, and wine writers adored it because of all the exotic adjectives they could use to describe the wine. Another appeal to the grape is how it blends with other varietals, Syrah, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, and more.
The downside to Viognier’s appeal in the U.S. is in the pronunciation of the wine. There are approximately 397 different ways to pronounce Viognier (Ok, I may have made that stat up). Still, the generally accepted pronunciation is — ‘vee-OHN-yay.’ It is proven that if a consumer cannot pronounce the wine they want to order, not wanting to look like a fool, they will order another choice. It also appealed to those wine-snob-sommeliers with ashtrays hanging around their necks to suggest a wine that only they could pronounce. Now that you know how to pronounce the varietal, it is time to seize power and jump on board with this exciting wine.

Australia is the third most planted country in Viognier, after France and California. Interesting fact, Yalumba Winery was the first planting of Viognier outside of the Rhone Valley in 1980. Yalumba is Australia’s most historic family-owned winery. In 1847 a British brewer by the name of Samuel Smith emigrated to Australia with his family purchasing 30 acres of land in Angaston. He named his property Yalumba after an indigenous Australian word for “all the land around.”
Today they are still a family-owned winery and, in 1980, brought on award-winning winemaker Louisa Rose. Her love for Viognier is self-evident, with consistent 90+ ratings year after year for the Y Series Viognier. She has also been awarded 1999 Barossa Wine Maker Of The Year, Gourmet Traveler Wine Magazine Wine Maker Of The Year in 2008, and Wine Maker Of The Year by the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology in 2013, along with many other awards. Under her leadership, besides making great wine, Yalumba has developed its sustainability viticulture program, which starts in the vineyard and extends to every aspect of winemaking. For their efforts, Yalumba was the first wine company in the world to receive the Climate Protection Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2007. Yalumba’s sustainability extends beyond the winery and involves vineyards and the environment around them.
“We’re convinced our efforts in protecting our natural resources reflect the quality of wines we make,” says fifth-generation Proprietor Robert Hill-Smith. “Quite simply, if we’re to focus on excellence in winemaking, it absolutely requires excellence in environmental management – the two are inseparable.”
Yalumba runs an impressive environmental management program, setting aside hundreds of hectares of land for conservation management. For every acre of vineyard they own, they have at least one acre of natural vegetation and have planted thousands of trees over the past few decades. They have reduced the amount of chemicals they use, incorporated an integrated pest management system, and encouraged the biodiversity of vegetation in their vineyards.

Yalumba’s first bottled a Viognier in 1990. As mentioned earlier, Yalumba was the first to plant Viognier in 1980, and those old vines are still producing fruit. They recently planted more vineyards in 2005 for a total of 64 acres of Viognier. They also have access to grower vineyards with long-term contracts for their grapes and never bought juice. 
After harvest, the Viognier grapes are gently pressed and the juices handled with controlled oxidation. Fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks utilizing the naturally occurring indigenous vineyard yeasts. The indigenous yeasts create layers of flavor, complexity, and richness. After fermentation, the wine remains on the lees for three months, adding creaminess and palate richness. The resulting wines are natural, vegan, gluten-free, and exhibit complex flavors that represent Yalumba’s rich history of winemaking.
Winemaker Notes
The Y Series Viognier is on the fresher, lighter end of the Viognier spectrum. It shows all the unique characteristics of this exotic variety without being too rich on the palate.

Bright straw in color with green hues. Aromas of orange blossom with fresh ginger, hints of honeysuckle, and white flowers. Fresh apricot, white tea, dried figs, and fennel lead to a creamy mid-palate with a silky, textural finish.
Accolades
Despite being Yalumba’s entry-level Viognier, this is one of its most delicious white offerings. Highly aromatic, it wafts a perfume of honeysuckle, orchard blossom, and fuzzy peach skin. The palate is more viscous than the nose implies, but there's enough acidity to keep it fresh. Peach and lemon flavors linger on the finish. Wine enthusiast 91 pts

This has bright, ripe peach and apricot aromas with bright, floral perfume. There’s a very pure, ripe-apricot core to the palate and smoothly fleshy texture. Works well. James Suckling 91 pts
This Week's Wine Insider Offer
Yalumba Y series Viognier 2021  

We were able to get this price because the winery is changing the label in mid-vintage, and the distributor needs to move these cases to get into the new one. Due to the price we are going out with on this wine, I was a little skeptical about the task of tasting this wine. So I enlisted my favorite wine geek to taste this wine and jot down some notes. He has a particular love for unusual white wines, so I knew he was the palate I could trust.

The Yalumba Y Series Viognier was fantastic. Flower aromatics abound, but on the palate, just a touch of the floral. Bright, clean, and crisp white tea and ginger snaps. A nice summer sip. Tim Gunderman

At $5 a bottle, this is a great value, don’t miss out. As always, quantities are limited.
Regular Price: $11.99
*Sale price is on 12 or more bottles, wine is packed in a 12 bottle case.
Price is on 12 or more bottles
There is a $36 Mail in Rebate on 12 bottles
Final Cost is $5 a bottle
How To Place Your Order
To order, simply send an email to your preferred Yankee Spirits superstore with one of the addresses to the right, along with:

Your Name
So we know who to hold the order for and your name is not always obvious by your email.

Desired Quantity
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  • Unpaid Hold: We can hold orders as unpaid for the duration of this promotion, but cannot guarantee fulfillment on them.
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All request are processed during business hours and in the order they are received. We'll confirm your order via email within 48 hours and when it is ready for pickup. Unless otherwise specified, promotional pricing ends two weeks from email send date.
YANKEE SPIRITS
STORE LOCATIONS
James Taylor
Don Ackerman
John Hannum
Barbara Holt
Pricing is subject to change without notice once this promotion ends in two weeks or when we run out of product. Whichever comes first.
Place your order now with the store contacts above, while you've got all the information at your fingertips.

Cheers!

John Hannum, Fine & Rare Wine Specialist
Attleboro
628 Washington St.
Norwood
942 Providence Hgwy.
Sturbridge
376 Main Street.
Swansea
207 Swansea Mall Dr.
Monday-Thursday
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Friday-Saturday
9AM to 10PM
Sunday
10AM to 6PM
We reserve the right to limit quantities. You must be at least 21 years of age to purchase/consume alcohol. Please drink responsibly. Not responsible for typographical errors. Rebate quantities are subject to limitation by the manufacturer. These alcoholic beverages may be subject to payment of Connecticut or Rhode Island Alcoholic Beverage Tax and Connecticut Use Tax, and may be subject to seizure as contraband.