Viognier

[Lyn Bliss]

In our area, viognier seems to be catching on. Can anyone give recommendations???

[summa]

Well, actually Viognier was a very popular white grape to develop in CA a bit ago, (read a decade or more). It can produce a quite wonderfully complex perfumed wine, but I find it almost impossible to find a good one. I always open up a bottle and it smells so incredibly profound, then I taste it and am completely disappointed, little in the way of flavour, body or finish. Except in Very rare instances, I think it is a wonderful juice to blend with other varietals. (Viognier is originally a Rhone varietal from France)

[This message has been edited by summa (edited 09-01-2001).]

[Innkeeper]

The problem with American Viognier is the same problem with most other American white wine, oak. The results are even more disasterous than with chardoanny or sauvignon, because of viognier's perfume. Perfume plus oak equals yuk.

One exception is from Horton in Virginia. Perhaps you can find it in Ohio. Barring that the are some good examples from France among the various Vins de Pays. If you want to spend the bucks, you might try viognier as nature intended, in the outstanding Northern Rhone wine, Condrieu. Condrieu is made 100% from viognier.

[winoweenie]

And Guigal makes a killer bottling. WW

[RAD]

WW,

I suppose you have this on hearsay.

RAD

[Bucko]

Another problem with Viognier is that it gets pretty ripe and can produce some hot wines (>14% ETOH).

That said, here are some nice ones:

2000 Cline, Viognier, Sonoma County, California, $18, 2,998 cases. Packed with floral, ripe nectarine and apricot aromas, the wine delivers on the palate as well. Well-balanced, flavors of nectarine, spice and honey linger on the crisp finish. 90/91.

2000 Sobon Estate, Viognier, Estate Bottled, Shenandoah Valley, California, $15, 1,800 cases. Very floral, honeysuckle dominant, with hints of white peach. Full-bodied, crisp, with rich peach, tropical fruit and spicy flavors on the long aftertaste. 88/90.

[hotwine]

Georges Duboeuf's Viognier might be available in your area, and I recommend it. Very definitely French, and inexpensive.

[winoweenie]

No Bad Rad, I've been a fan of all wines Guigal since the 76 Cote Rotie. I've cellared and enjoyed many of his wonderful Vee-oon-yays. WW

[This message has been edited by winoweenie (edited 09-02-2001).]

[RAD]

Stop the presses! So viogner ain't a SW??!!

RAD

[Thomas]

RAD the closet white wine drinker is exposed once again: first it was Gewurztraminer; now it is Viognier. I knew he was just pounding his chest all along with SW thing...

Incidentally, we have a Rochester, NY Viognier producer who does a nice job with the variety: Casa Larga. is-wine sells it for about $12 (I am at home right now, so don't have it in front of me); it is herbal, clean and quite a quaffer.

[RAD]

He's still got my respect as long as he doesn't tell us about his white zin stash, and how he's supported Sutter Home since they released it way-back-when.

RAD

[winoweenie]

When I was young and on the prowl it was perfectly OK to investigate ebberthin'. They used to call it Chippying. I'm committed to reds but OCCASSIONALLY Chippy wif' dem' SWs'." Better-Red-Than-Dead". WW