La Petit Mort Viognier Marsanne Rousanne Qveveri 2022 (Queensland, Australia)
This is an incredibly intriguing wine which I have been sipping while on hiatus from my blog. It is intriguing as it has not only multiple levels of complexity but also pairs so well with foods from a diverse cultural background.
This wine is textural! The first sip gave me a strong skin tannin grip coupled with a savoury back palate – not surprising since it was fermented and aged on skins. Then came a strong impression of honey, rucola lettuce, mandarin, clementine and orange rind with a touch of lemon and thyme on the long finish. A touch of oxidative character with flavours of roasted almond and walnut continued through. It almost tasted like a very good orange wine (which I am not a fan of) with a slight hay characteristic.
I am a fan of Viognier and Roussanne and love how those varieties have given this wine roundness and a full body. While not normally a fan of Marsanne, the hay element does add yet another layer of complexity.
This is not a shy and retiring wine, so I have had good fun playing with the food /wine pairings as you can drink it with boldly flavoured foods. This include hummus – a definite winner as the lemon in both the wine and food give a seamless link to one another - but also dishes with saffron and nuts such as Arabic dishes and even an Indian Biyrani. I have also found it interesting that it tastes just a good with a Milanese alla Cotelleta (the textural match with those breadcrumbs and touch of saffron) to a Thai Yellow Chicken Curry (the skin tannins).
This wine challenged many of my wine prejudices and at the same time opened up an array of possibilities. I will be purchase a few more bottles.
Rating: Bloody Delish Price: AUD 38