Viognier is one of the white grapes synonymous with the Rhone Valley in France. It's full bodied, perfumed and, with age, takes on a honeysuckle richness. It's perfect with richer, white meats.
She's a fickle gal. In the vineyard, Viognier can have really varying volumes, vintage to vintage. It's due to this spontaneity that we will probably never see this variety as the next-big-thing that you see on every wine list by the glass.
However, it's not uncommon to see Viognier in a blend. Yes, we'll state the obvious Roussanne-Marsanne-Viognier blend that helped with the Viognier rise to fame.
Clonakilla were one of the first wineries in Australia to adopt the Rhone habit of dropping a tiny smattering of Viognier in to their Shiraz. The softness of the Viognier makes for a silky finish in your glass of red, as well as that aromatic profile dancing out of the glass.