2025 Clonakilla Viognier, Canberra District

Quite delicate and perfumed with a lovely floral lift, fresh orchard fruit, apricot, poached pear, mandarin, orange blossom, citrus oil, spice and fresh herbs. The palate is vibrant and focused with a generous mid-weighted texture, fine structure and slight phenolic grip bringing freshness, precision and a zesty, perfumed finish. A finely balanced, restrained viognier with plenty of time left in bottle. Drink or hold.

96 points Ryan Montgomery for James Suckling, September 2026

Lifted and highly aromatic, with a drive of apricot kernel, nuts, peach juice, vanilla and white florals. Mouth-filling, opulent and textured, with a core of stone fruit and tropical fruit flavours, all underpinned by some pithy and shapely acidity, which keeps all in check. A very classy and balanced viognier. Drink to 2033.

95 points Aaron Brasher for The Real Review, May 2026

Is this the most famous Viognier in Australia. Let’s say close, but the prize probably goes to the component that goes into Clonakilla’s famous Shiraz Viognier. Effectively the same thing, just used differently. Current winemaker, Tim Kirk, has provided a litany (allow me that one attempt at a religious pun and I promise never to do it again – for those unaware, Tim was once destined for a career that was decidedly more non-secular than winemaking) of fabulous wines and this sits highly amongst them. His father, John, planted Viognier at the estate in 1986, and they have a range of clones. When making this, they used a combination of destemming and whole bunches with a wild fermentation. Maturation is for eleven months on lees in the barrels used for fermentation. Early days, but 2025 is proving to be an impressive vintage for the Canberra region. Lemon/straw, there is no mistaking the variety used here. We have strong ginger, apricot skins and spicy notes, with the merest hint of oak, exquisitely integrated. There is great length here, and on the palate we see further spices and a touch of citrus. A lingering finish, everything is finely balanced and the wine is utterly delicious. This is a cracking Viognier and will provide immense pleasure over the next eight years. Drink to 2034.

95 points Ken Gargett for Wine Pilot, July 2026

Clonakilla was founded in 1971 by Dr John Kirk, an Irish-born CSIRO research scientist who planted the first vines in what would become the Canberra District, one of Australia's most compelling cool-climate regions. His son Tim Kirk has been chief winemaker since the late 1990s, and it is Tim who introduced the Shiraz Viognier that made the estate famous.

Clonakilla's home vineyard sits at 600 metres above sea level near Murrumbateman on decomposed granite soils, and the combination of altitude, significant diurnal temperature variation and cool nights defines the elegant, aromatic and precise house style.

The Viognier is barrel fermented and aged for a year on lees in large format French oak demi-muids. The winemaking choices are designed to give the variety's natural richness some structure and savoury depth without obscuring its characteristic perfume.

The result is a wine of real character — lifted stone fruit, apricot kernel, mixed spice and a trace of nutty barrel on the nose. The palate is rich and textured with genuine savoury grip through the finish, the kind of backbone that makes this a serious food wine rather than simply an aromatic white. Long and composed.

This would pair beautifully with a roast chicken with tarragon butter and root vegetables, or a Provençal-style tuna with olives and tomato. The wine's stone fruit richness and savoury grip sit well with either.

Drink now through 2030.