A salty, pungent expression of Viognier, whereas most play in the floral/fruity realm. You can't escape the aromatics, but this is a mix of green mango, fresh green herbs, salt, pepper and crushed rocks. Soft and relatively low acid, the saline edge keeps things fresh. An intriguing wine.

From great challenges arise great results. Latta Vino is a pretty good example of this, being a winery born of an unusual history and with a dedication to producing characterful and unexpected wines. Owen Latta is the son of Norman Latta, the man who established Eastern Peake winery (which may well be the best Australian winery you've never heard of, but that's another story), but due to an accident had to give up winemaking when Owen was still a teenager. Young Owen didn't shirk, and threw himself into the task. Fast forward to today, and Owen is one of the most respected young winemakers in Australia, his family winery better than ever, and his own label Latta at the cutting edge of Australian wine. His vision was a particular one: to work with the diverse and occasionally difficult soils of Coghills Creek and surrounds to produce wines which he would be proud to be associated with his land. Small yields, challenging seasons and a range of natural, sustainable methods were the way forward, and before long, the wines began to speak for themselves. They now sit proudly at the summit of Victorian wines - fresh, fragrant and complex.