- Margaret River, WA - $25.90
- Screwcap
- 14.5%alc
For the first time in 2008 Pierro's Mike Peterkin has added viognier to his Fire Gully Shiraz. He hasn't been too shy about it either, co-fermenting a rather generous 9.7% of the white grape into the blend.
With its hefty viognier component I wasn't sure what to expect from this Margaret River shiraz. Optimistically; intensely aromatic, floral, musky and spicy. Pessimistically; something else. What I can say is that after an hour in the glass it's surprisingly withdrawn, a touch rustic and meaty on the nose, as it presents a baked apricot-lead fragrance of plums, licorice and stewed rhubarb with a smaller degree of secondhand smoky, spicy oak. On the palate it seems thin and hollow, circling the mouth without truly exploring the desired depths of the mid-palate. It's essentially light-medium bodied but its elegantly styled weight doesn't transfer over to an elegant feel, and although there's some plausible black cherry and apricot skin flavours, I still hold concerns over the wine's brightness and its rather disjointed, tart finish and structural elements.
X All-up, Fire Gully's 2008 doesn't really add up, but this is a Margaret River shiraz viognier I'm talking about here. Drink to 2012.
86 points
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