Well, in this case the V is for Vanastic!
So I have this wine in front of me. A fragrant white. A bright, young, fragrant white with a dry nutty backbone, a delicate aura of freshly plucked apricot, a juicy quince richness and an evocation of a herbal twang - perhaps a nettle or a lemon grass, then later a suggestion of spearmint. It's dry and clean with a subtle silky texture and a sweet sherbet infusion, a hint of musk, strudel spices and a lingering aftertaste like after sucking on a lime …. and then ethereal apricot and apple character lingers long after the wine is swallowed.
Tasting it blind I would have to probably plump for Viognier because of its exoticness. But when I'm told it's not Viognier, I'm scratching my head as to what it could be and I'm searching through my aromatic wine memory.
It's far too tasty for Pinot Gris, especially a dry Pinot Gris, but far too subdued for Sauvignon Blanc. It has the muskiness and spiciness of the most delicate Gewurztraminer but it doesn't have the richness or palate weight that the GW grape usually exhibits. It's not sweet and fruity enough for Muscat and it has soft acidity, so can't be Riesling. I think about the exotics, the grapes I've little experience with, like Albarino or Arneis. But it's not as fleshy as the only Arneis I've tasted, so could it be Albarino, the great Spanish white?
No!
It's Brown Brothers Vermentino 2007 (NZ$18.95/AUD) and the grapes were grown in the Murray River region in Victoria, Australia. It has 11.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.31 and an acidity level of just 5.4 g/l. It's sealed with a screwcap and is one of the best dry aromatic whites (apart from Riesling) that I've tasted from Australia. I never would have believed they could make 'vantastic' dry vino like this?