In Australia, Viognier has found a home in the cool altitude at Topper's Mountain on the New England Tablelands of NSW.
Understanding Viognier: The Most Demanding of Aromatic Whites
Viognier is a white grape variety from the northern Rhône Valley in France, where it produces Condrieu — one of the most expensive and sought-after white wines in the world. It is defined by an explosive aromatic profile: apricot, peach blossom, white flowers, and an almost oily texture on the palate. At its best, it is opulent, generous, and unforgettable.
The challenge with Viognier is the narrow window between underripe and overripe. Pick it too early and it’s flat and stripped of character. Pick it too late and you lose the floral delicacy that defines the variety in favour of heavy, blowsy fruit without backbone. Temperature swings between day and night are essential to preserve that aromatic precision.
In Australia, Viognier has found a home in cool regions like Eden Valley, Yarra Valley, and — as Topper’s Mountain is proving — the New England Tablelands of NSW.
A Forgotten Case Changes Everything
Sometimes the best winemaking decisions begin with a happy accident. Mark discovered six cases of 2010 Viognier sitting in the back of the cool room, forgotten and perfectly aged. He opened them, tasted them, and was so impressed by what time had done to the wine that he committed to pushing harder into the variety.
That discovery — of a wine that had held together beautifully, developed complexity, and retained its distinctive character across more than a decade — is the foundation of the current Viognier program at Topper’s Mountain. It confirmed what Kirkby had long suspected: that this altitude and these volcanic soils have something genuinely special to offer the variety.
The Viognier block at Topper’s Mountain is boutique in scale. With only a small planted area dedicated to the variety, production is very limited, and each vintage is treated as both an expression of place and a continuing experiment in understanding what this site can do with such a demanding grape.
The Terroir Behind the Wine
At 900 metres above sea level near Tingha, Topper’s Mountain occupies one of the most distinctive viticulture sites in New South Wales. The deep, free-draining red ferrosol — red volcanic basalt, rich in iron — provide the kind of well-drained, mineral-laden growing environment that stresses vines in a positive way, encouraging deep root development and concentrated flavour. The altitude ensures cool nights throughout the growing season, which is critical for retaining the delicate aromatic compounds that make Viognier so distinct.
Tasting the 2023 Topper’s Mountain Viognier
“This feels like a well-made wine. It leads with orange marmalade and gingerbread notes, in conjunction with aromas of honey and light spices such as white pepper and saffron. Yeasty and leesy tones hum nicely underneath. The palate is slippery and mouthcoating – yum! Intense notes of peaches and cream, blood orange, and lemon balm demand attention. Further than this, there are more herbal notes like mint, spicy Thai basil, and yarrow, which give the wine character and freshness. This wine has intensity and power with elegance – viva.”
~ Steve Dudine – Young Gun of Wine
The nose is immediately expressive — white peach, ripe apricot, and a thread of orange blossom that draws you in. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied but not heavy, with texture and presence that coats the mouth gently. Flavours of stone fruit carry through, supported by a fresh acidity that lifts the finish. It’s long, clean, and has the structure to evolve gracefully in the bottle over three to five years.
Viognier at the Table
Viognier’s richness and perfume make a versatile white wine, particularly if you move beyond the usual suspects of seafood and chicken.
Topper’s Mountain Viognier pairs beautifully with:
- Roast chicken with herbed butter and roasted stone fruit — the wine mirrors and amplifies the sweetness of roasted apricot or peach
- Thai-style fish curry with coconut and lemongrass — the aromatic intensity holds up beautifully against complex spice
- Brie and Camembert — soft, creamy cheeses are a natural counterpart to Viognier’s textured palette
- Garlic Prawns or lobster — the richness of the wine is a natural match for the intensity
A Wine for Those Who Seek Something Different
Our Keeper range exists for drinkers who want something made without compromise — wines that take the difficulty of the grape and the site as a starting point rather than an obstacle.
If you have been exploring aromatic whites and finding many of them either too sweet or too light, the Topper’s Mountain Viognier offers a different answer: a wine that is bone-dry in its approach, generous in character, and made at altitude on volcanic soils in a corner of Australia that most wine drinkers are yet to discover.
Find Topper’s Mountain Viognier in the online shop at toppers.com.au/shop.
Drawn to aromatic whites? Explore the Topper’s Mountain Gewürztraminer — another flagship aromatic white from the same high-altitude vineyard, with 95 Halliday points to its name. Or discover the Manseng, a rare French white that James Halliday says “really sings” at Topper’s Mountain.
