WTN: Pax Verbatim 'Rockwater Fountain' Viognier 2008

[Sue Courtney]

Pax Verbatim 'Rockwater Fountain' Viognier 2008 - Stellenbosch, South Africa
Light straw gold in colour.
Smoky, nutty aromatics with a wheat grain nuance and the merest hint of lanolin.
A rich, warm wine in the mouth, with perhaps a hint of oak adding to the overall complexity. The palate is spicy and savoury and just a little chardonnay-like with its full-bodied richness and mealiness. There's a green grape fruitiness and a lifted aromatic finish with a spicy zing. A powerful wine and while not particularly fruity, it is nice to drink.

A Viognier Workshop I attended a few years ago implied that Viognier should have the aromatics of Riesling, the body of Chardonnay & spiciness of a Gewurztraminer. While the Pax is not particularly aromatic, the body and spice are there.
The bottle states 14.5% alcohol and has a screwcap closure. NZ$29.
500 cases were made.

Cheers,
Sue

[Peter May]

I'd never heard of Pax Verbatim. Seems it a 'virtual' brand; interestingly the address is given as 21 Topaz Street which means the owner, Richard Hilton, must be a close neighbout of Clive Torr who owns South Africa's smallest winery estate in his garden/garage at 26 Topaz St.

In common with many other SA wineries, the Pax Verbatim website doesn't appear to have been updated since it was set up and it is referring to the forthcoming Sept 2007 release of the maiden 2007 vintage of Rockwater Fountain Viognier.

[Sue Courtney]

It is imported into New Zealand by South Africn wine enthusiast, Martin Cahnbley - he has set up a compnay called Planet Wine, which lists his portfolio.
Cheers,
Sue

[Jenise]

A Viognier Workshop I attended a few years ago implied that Viognier should have the aromatics of Riesling, the body of Chardonnay & spiciness of a Gewurztraminer. While the Pax is not particularly aromatic, the body and spice are there.
The bottle states 14.5% alcohol and has a screwcap closure. NZ$29.
500 cases were made.

Cheers,
Sue

Interesting definition of viognier. I'm not sure I always agree--riesling to me is not floral, and viognier usually seems highly so, but I do get where they're coming from with that.