2011 M. Chapoutier Viognier Côteaux de l'Ardèche Domaine des Granges de Mirabel

Community Tasting Notes (4) Avg Score: 88.3 points

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  5/9/2013 - Lemmy-W wrote: 87 Points

  expected a bit more. all in all ok, but at same price you can get better (at least better fit for my taste).

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  3/14/2013 - forceberry wrote: 90 Points

  Quite neutral pale green color. Initially the nose is very bland and I start to wonder whether this is actually a Chardonnay of Pays d'Oc: it lacks the typical Viognier notes of peaches, flowers and spice and instead displays just fruity aromas of overripe apples and apricots. However, as the wine gets some air and warms up, it starts to reveal more varietally typical aromas of wild flowers, ripe peaches, some exotic spices - with a pronounced character of turmeric - and a hint of something chemical, probably a hint of alcohol and a touch of acetone lift. The nose transforms into more perfumed and aromatic, but never becomes heady and excessive. Instead, on the palate the wine is very powerful, intense and almost mouth-fillingly full-bodied, heavily contrasting the nose. There is a hard initial hit of exotic spice, under which are notes of sweet apples and ripe pear, orange-driven citrus notes, some smoke and hints of floral yet slightly bitter terpene hints. Despite the very sweet character of the fruit, the wine feels very dry on the palate. The acidity is rather modest, but balanced enough to keep the body in check and not to let the wine feel flabby. Still, the wine feels very round and rather big with quite oily, concentrated mouthfeel. Lots of richness, power and complexity. The finish is quite long, a little bit warm and full of rich flavors of ripe pear, burnt exotic spices and a little bitterness with a slightest hint of something grippy that feels almost tannic.
  
  Although the wine initially felt rather pedestrian with simple, fruit-forward character, it turned out to be a surprisingly big, bold and powerful white with good varietal Viognier character - stylistically this wine felt surprisingly close to the classy Viogniers of Condrieu, although with even a bit heavier, warmer fruit character and more pronounced, spicy terpene attack. A wine this big doesn't really feel that sophisticated, but it shows great versatility with foods that require some body and power from the white wine. A wine best enjoyed now, not cellared. Good value at 17,04€ - this is like a poor man's Condrieu at half the price of the real stuff.

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  2/19/2013 - henrygjeffreys wrote:

  n - startlingly vivid, apricots
  dry more stonefruit

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  2/8/2013 - avp wrote:

  Peachy nose with some florals, tangerine, cucumber peel and peppery spice notes.
  Dry, medium bodied and oily palate with balanced mid-level acidity. Citrus peel, tangerine, spices and warmth. Lengthy.
  Viognier is good.

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