Archive for the ‘viognier’ Category
Varietal: 22.7% Malvasia Bianca; 15.9% Gruner Veltliner; 15.7% Sauvignon Blanc; 9.2% Gewurztraminer; 7.9% Riesling; 7.3% Chenin Blanc; 6.1% Muscat Canelli; 5.2% Viognier; 4.5% Verdelho; 4.4% Albarino; 1.1% Pinot Gris
Region: California – USA
Cost: $10 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Big House wines are a rebellious mix of non-traditional grape varieties destined to give the imbiber a new experience. To wit this year’s prisoner is a captivating blend of aromatic whites that span the distance of the Alps themselves. With a nose that carries the vibrancy of spring and white flowers and lychee fruit that surround the senses. The palate opens up to tropical fruits, dried apricot, and white peaches. This wine finishes strong with a cleansing citrus zest that lingers. Pairs with fresh fish, Asian cuisine, or even Sunday morning fruit salads.
My Review: I’m a big proponent of tables wines, and I feel as though that’s a niche that Big House wines has embraced and possibly even tried to make their own. Looking at the list of wines that are put into the bottle it’s almost disappointing to not see one labeled “kitchen sink”. There are times when a wine can try and do too much and end up falling flat, and while I’m not going to go so far as to proclaim the 2010 Big House White an amazing wine, for a $10 table wine, you can do a lot worse.
Varietal: Chardonnay with a touch of Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc
Region: 71% California; 29% North Carolina
Cost: $11 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Yellow/green in color with aromas of tropical fruit, pineapple, peach, persimmon, and mint. In the mouth the wine is fresh and fruity with a touch of butter; a smooth wine with a medium body. Pairs well with seafood, chicken, pasta, and light dishes.
My Review: I’ll admit that I wasn’t sure what to expect out of this bottle. Not only did I not know what the percentages on the blend were (though I’d make a rough guess that the Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc account for less than 10% of the wine), but blending two grapes not just from different regions in a state, but from different states, seemed odd to me.
Varietal: 100% Viognier
Region: North Carolina – USA
Cost: $19 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Light straw color with aromas of kiwi, honeysuckle, strawberry, and white pepper. Hints of honey, strawberry, and key lime in the mouth. Wine has a good mouth-feel with a lingering acidity. Pairs well with lobster with cream sauce, scallops, prawns, fried oysters, and soft shell crabs.
My Review: Given that I live in Virginia, and we recently declared Viognier (Viggy) to be our signature grape, I was intrigued when a bottle of North Carolina Viognier showed up for me to try. Viognier as a varietal has been steadily growing on me, particularly during the sweltering Virginia summers, so during some unexpectedly warm weather, my wife and I opened up the bottle while sitting on the deck.
If you were paying attention during the 2011 North American Wine Bloggers Conference (and if you weren’t I’m deeply hurt), you’d have noticed that I did do a small tasting during one of the speed tastings of the CalNaturale Chardonnay. I was intrigued by it, especially being that it’s a boxed wine, so when they reached out to me after the conference and asked if I’d like full-sized samples I jumped at the opportunity.
First, a few things about the wines before I launch into my usual reviews. These wines are about as organic as you can get, with the grapes being grown organically and the tetra-packs used to ship them in reducing costs and being far more green than a bottle holding the same amount of juice. I know that “boxed wines” have this bad reputation, but I think both myself and a lot of other bloggers are starting to see the value in them, and the winemakers are starting to make really good, quality wines and packing them in non-traditional ways, so it’s good to see another non-bottled wine on the market.
Ok, now to the reviews.
On Thursday, as something of a lead up to the 2011 Wine Bloggers Conference, I participated in a tasting of Virginia Viognier along with several other bloggers, all of us sharing our thoughts on Twitter as we tasted. I would, however, be remiss if I didn’t share my thoughts on here as well.
We started the tasting with a Horton Vineyards Sparkling Viognier (SRP $25). I’d never had a sparkling Viognier before and given my recent increased interest in all things bubbles, I was certainly looking forward to trying it when I got the bottle. The most notable note on both the nose and in the mouth was green apple, and the wine itself was crisp with big bubbles. I loved this wine and it was probably my favorite of the night and one that was quickly gone.
Next up was the 2010 Blenheim Vineyards Viognier (SRP $19). I got a bit of honey on the nose with some orange blossom on the palate and a rounded finish that was unexpected until I looked at the tasting notes and saw that some of the wine had spent time in French barrels.
Third was the 2010 King Family Vineyards Viognier (SRP $25). Honeysuckle on the nose with candied fruit in the mouth with a subtle minerality that I wasn’t expecting. This wine was also oaked, but in neutral barrels and the finish was less rounded than the Blenheim.
Fourth was the 2009 Barboursville Viognier Reserve (SRP $22). I got a slight bit of petrol on the nose and grapefruit in the mouth. The Barboursville had more acid on it than any of the others though not much in the way of floral notes. That being said I enjoyed it and would recommend it.
Finally we opened up the 2010 Cooper Vineyards Viognier (SRP $23). I got subtle floral and honeysuckle notes on the nose with pineapple in the mouth and soft, butter/oak finish which didn’t surprise me given that 40% of the wine had been aged in second-year barrels. This was probably my favorite of the still wines, which actually surprised me.
There was a sixth wine, the 2010 Deleplane Viognier (SRP $24), but my shipment got lost and I wasn’t able to taste it.
I want to thank the Virginia Wine Board and all of the organizers and vineyards for putting on a great tasting. Any time I talk with people not from Virginia I’m always talking up our Viognier, and events like this just give me more examples to show them.
Varietal: 100% Viognier
Region: Virginia – USA
Cost: $17
Winemaker’s Notes: An opulent bouquet of ripe peaches, apricots, and honeysuckle is woven together with an intense palate full of orange, grapefruit, and subtle spice followed by a lengthy finish with bright acidity and hints of vanilla.
My Review: During a recent trip out to Virginia Wine Country my wife and I stopped in at White Hall Vineyards for the first time in some time and while there were several wines there that we enjoyed, we made a point of bringing home a bottle of the 2009 Viognier, which was opened up earlier this week.
While relaxing in our home on a hot day, my wife and I wanted something to sip on while she did some crafting for her Etsy page and I relaxed and watched some TV. Enter the White Hall Viognier.
