Community Tasting Note
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DaveZack wrote: 90 points
August 5, 2012 - We got this bottle from the winery's wine club in September 2011 for $16.67.
Bouquet: This wine exhibits white flowers, herbs, tropical fruits, oak, and suggestions of cream on the nose.
Tasting notes: This is a very nice white that makes for a fantastic alternative to the Usual White Suspects (Chardonnay, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc). And thanks to the inclusion of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, and Vermentino, this Viognier is much more interesting than most.
How does Fess Parker get away with calling this wine Viognier when only 83% of it consists of Viognier? In America (and other parts of the world), if a bottle of wine consists of 75% or more of one varietal, it is legal to label the wine whichever varietal dominates the blend (i.e. a wine with 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% consisting of, literally, 50 other varietals, can legally be called/labeled “Cabernet Sauvignon”).
If you like rich, creamy, interesting Chardonnays but need something a bit more interesting, this wine should be on your VERY short list.
Viognier tends to share a lot of the qualities that are common with Chardonnay. This Viognier is likewise rich and creamy, exhibiting tropical fruit (pineapple and mango, along with mango’s spicy pepperyness (is that a word?!?!)), along with a basket of herbs like white pepper and an assortment of garden herbs. As rich and creamy as this wine is, it was (I’m presuming) aged at least partially in oak, which likewise adds additional cream, vanilla, and spice notes. Thanks to those other Rhone Valley French (Grenache Blanc and Marsanne) and Italian (Vermentino) varietals, this wine also shows wonderful mineral elements that add a touch more of a crisp, clean, brisk, vibrancy that your typical white wine doesn’t possess.
Pairing suggestions: We drank this wine with wild Alaskan Sockeye salmon filets marinated in white miso paste. I thought the wine went very well with the salmon (though Arthur didn’t). Thanks to the other minerally, crisp varietals that are in this Viognier-based blend, I believe this wine would also pair well with just about any other seafood (especially scallops, linguini and clams, shrimp tempura, and just about any fish filet dish).
Aging potential: This wine is drinking beautifully right now, but thanks to those previously-mentioned “other” varietals, this wine should continue to age well for another three to five years. If you have this bottle in your collection right now, I think this wine is as good as it’s going to get (i.e. it’s at peak maturity). Put your bottle in the fridge and drink it while the weather is warm and the food is fresh.1 person found this helpful 2,105 views
2 Comments
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iByron commented:
12/5/12, 2:32 PM - Scallops seems like an excellent idea for pairing; a recipe that includes a tropical fruit salsa would be near perfect. That creaminess (from oak aging and Viognier's natural low acidity...the latter not necessarily a quality shared with Chard) would compliment the scallop texture to a tee.
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DaveZack commented:
12/5/12, 3:10 PM - I agree, iByran. Pan-seared scallops with a tropical salsa would pair beautifully with this Viognier. Good call!!