Good Pair Days - Ben Haines Viognier 2019

Ben Haines is a winemaking superstar - formerly head winemaker of iconic estate Mt Langi Ghiran in the Grampians in Victoria, and time before that at esteemed winery Mitchelton (amongst others) prior to that. These days all of his considerable energy is channelled into his own wines....and what wines they are.

With each new release the quality seems to go up - Ben is always learning and improving. He's got a sweet touch with all the wines he makes - they're always beautifully balanced, with fruit to the fore but a really savoury undercurrent. The harmony between the fruit, the oak and the expression of the soil is really special.

Recently the wines have really gone to another level - more nuance, more character and greater depths. Exploration is the thread that ties the Ben Haines winemaking together. Ben admits to being naturally curious - pushing boundaries and making better wines. And he is delivering on that in a big way.

Fleshy and leesy, meaty and savoury nose. Plenty happening here, but not much of what you might expect from a Yarra Valley Viognier. There's not a whole lot of fruit to start with to be honest, but that's not bad thing. A whiff of smoke and some crushed rocks. It's fresh on the palate though! Citrus peel and almond meal. Salty as well. All in all, a heck of a wine.