10 Viognier Vignettes

It's a quirky grape to be sure, but it's a grape that has spread around the world in the last decade from its Northern Rhone base to Australia and California, Chile and even the Okanagan Valley.

It's not an easy grape to grow. Mildew is a problem, yields are less than ample and seldom predictable. But when it's right, viognier's golden colour and the aroma of fruit and flowers can be shockingly good.

The colour and nose often suggest a sweet tasting wine when in fact viognier is invariably dry. It is best known for its mineral/apricot, peach and spice flavours, together with high alcohol (often over the 13-per-cent mark) and low acidity.

If there's a notable difference between the New World and the northern Rhone viognier it probably stems from the age of the vines. The vines producing the best wines are more than 20 years old and they are almost all in the Rhone where some are 70 years or older.

At the first Australian Viognier Symposium held at the Yalumba winery in the Barossa Valley last year, Yalumba owner Robert Hill Smith described viognier as, "quixotic, not exotic." Speaking at the same event, British wine writer Robert Joseph said, "The only thing I know about viognier is that if you think you know the answer, you didn't understand the question."

94/100 Yalumba Viognier Virgilius 2001
Eden Valley, South Australia, Australia
Very aromatic nose with spicy, mineral, honey, apricot, ginger, nutty lees and butter aromas. Rich, round and elegant with intense spicy, ginger, honey, marmalade, mineral, vanilla and butter flavours. Lond, clean, fruity and balanced, this has great finesse and freshness. Great now and over the next two years.
Tasted: 2003-01-23 by AG-ST
Prices: BC $45.00 Speculative - Mark Anthony Brands
Producer: Yalumba
Distributor: Mark Anthony Wine Merchants; Negociants International

91/100 Yalumba Viognier Eden Valley 2001
Eden Valley, South Australia, Australia
Bright citrus, marmalade, peach, honey spicy ginger aromas with a mineral, butter, floral mix. Rich, round and oily with an unctuous feel. Crips acidity with citrus peel, apricot, spicy, honey, slatey butter flavours. Very good and fresh with a nutty, buttery, lees finish. Fresh and balanced, a true joy to drink.
Tasted: 2003-01-23 by AG-ST
Prices: BC $30.95 Speculative - Mark Anthony Brands
Producer: Yalumba
Distributor: Mark Anthony Wine Merchants; Negociants International

88/100 Domaine de Molines Viognier Réserve 2000
Languedoc, South of France, France
Rich mineral floral honey nose with just a trace of citrus and orange blossom underneath. Soft round smooth and oily on entry followed by a crisp clean tangerine skin and honey flavour profile. Elegant styling with good persistence. Slightly alcoholic. Halibut with mango salsa would a magic pairing.
Tasted: 2003-03-09 by AG-ST
Prices: AB $19.95 Fine Wine Boutiques; BC $22.95 Speculative - Winspeer
CSPC: 721829;   UPC: 690604000126
Producer: Vignobles Michel Gassier
Distributor: Winspeer International Group Ltd.

88/100 Jackson-Triggs Viognier Proprietor's Reserve 2002
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Spicy mineral, honey citrus nose with a perfumed character that jumps out of the glass. It's warm and rich on the palate with round soft slightly sweet fruit flecked with hints of honey apple skin and orange marmalade. It is big and intense in the mouth and frankly a touch alcoholic but impressive nonetheless for such a young wine. Great value, let's hope the price remains sensible.
Tasted: 2003-06-27 by AG
Prices: BC $14.95 Specialty
CSPC: 593129;   UPC: 063657005705
Producer: Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate
Distributor: Atlas Wine Merchants

88/100 Triennes Viognier Sainte Fleur 2000
Coteaux Varois, Provence, South of France, France
Floral perfume and lychee notes mark this very pleasant nose flecked with spice honey mineral and orange blossom notes. The flavours are similar with a touch of mineral and a fairly oily texture. The finish is nutty mineral with more spice, honey lees in the finish. Dry style with good acidity. Very stylish.
Tasted: 2003-01-10 by AG
Prices: AB $24.95 Fine Wine Boutiques; BC $26.95 Specialty
UPC: 3413660222007
Producer: Domaine de Triennes
Distributor: Liquid Art Fine Wines

87/100 Baron Philippe Viognier 2001
France
Spicy floral, green apple skin with mineral and floral highlights throughout. Very elegant entry with a slightly oily texture and a drier overall demeanour than most New World examples. Big mineral, apple skin, juicy, honey lees finish with just a touch of salt. Fine effort and good value.
Tasted: 2003-07-24 by AG-ST
Prices: BC $14.99 Private Wine Shops
CSPC: 874149;   UPC: 083960150176
Producer: Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Inc.
Distributor: Select Wine Merchants

87/100 EXP Viognier 2001
Dunnigan Hills, Yolo County, California, United States
Pleasant mineral orange blossom nose with a honeyed spiced character in the background. Rich fat oily textures coat the palate on entry with plenty of honeyed fruit flavours and a touch of residual sugar. More mineral/orange peel flavours in the finish. Soft, attractive consumer style.
Tasted: 2003-03-09 by AG-ST
Prices: BC $19.95 Speculative - Atlas Wine Merchants
UPC: 087110311776
Producer: R. H. Phillips
Distributor: Atlas Wine Merchants 
 
87/100 Yalumba Viognier Y Series 2002
Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia
Open mineral, honey, pear, buttery, citrus and peach aromas. Round, fresh and rich with a slightly oily texture. Mineral slate, buttery, dried lychee and citrus rind flavours. Good intensity and balance from Yalumba's introductory viognier.
Tasted: 2003-01-23 by AG-ST
Prices: BC $17.99 Specialty
CSPC: 624502;   UPC: 9311789475974
Producer: Yalumba
Distributor: Mark Anthony Wine Merchants; Negociants International

87/100 Ironstone Vineyards Viognier 2001
California, United States
Be sure to give this a little air because the initial nose is a bit skunky but with some aeration it opens with mineral dried lychee and tangerine peel aromas and flavours. The finish is oily with a spicy honey floral aftertaste. Once the nose cleans up it really shines.
Tasted: 2003-01-10 by AG-ST
Prices: BC $18.99
CSPC: 638288;   UPC: 724826101214
Producer: Kautz Ironstone Vineyards and Caverns
Distributor: International Cellars Inc.
 
87/100 Cono Sur Viognier 2002
Colchagua - Casablanca, Chile
A blend of Colchagua and Casablanca fruit gives this South American viognier an enticing honey/peach nose with floral mineral notes. On the palate it remains dry with mineral citrus flavours and quite a fresh orange marmalade finish. Delicious, well made and attractively priced.
Tasted: 2002-12-22 by AG
Prices: BC $11.99 Specialty
CSPC: 566836;   UPC: 7804320405407
Producer: Vina Cono Sur
Distributor: Maxxium Canada

86/100 Sélection Delas Viognier Vins de Pays de la Drôme 2001
Southern Rhone, Rhone Valley, France
Wow. Fabulous honey dried lychee nut nose with mineral and citrus rind. Soft round oily palate but drier than it smells with spicy, citrus, oily mineral notes. Well made and could be the perfect foil to Japanese or Chinese food.
Tasted: 2003-01-10 by AG
Prices: BC $14.95 Speculative David Herman
CSPC: 620492;   UPC: 123215340034
Producer: Delas Freres
Distributor: David Herman & Son Ltd. 

86/100 Cono Sur Viognier 2001
Valle del Rapel, Region del Valle Central, Chile
At Cono Sur the viognier fruit is harvested at various stages of maturity to add layers of flavouring and some 20 percent of the blend is aged in new French oak for a period of three months. The '01 is leaner than previous version showing more honeysuckle and mineral characters with less honey and less fat fruit. It's dry, crisp and refreshing but without the luscious character of the previous wine. The style will appeal to the more seasoned wine drinker but the price should appeal to all.
Tasted: 2002-09-01 by AG
Prices: BC $9.95
Producer: Vina Cono Sur
Distributor: Maxxium Canada