Sat was National Viognier Day & I had these three to celebrate:
1. OjaiVnyd Viognier RollRanchVnyd/VenturaCnty (13.5%) Helen&Adam Tolmach/Oakview 2014: Med.dark gold color; strong ripe peach/pear/Viog slight stony/chalky/mineral rather pencilly/cedary rather honeyed/honeycomb slight herbal/nutty beautiful aromatic mature Viog nose; bit soft very rich/lush ripe peach/pear/mature Viog quite honeyed/honeycomb light stony slight cedary/pencilly slight nutty/toasted hazelnuts very complex beautiful flavor; very long/lingering cedary/pencilly very strong ripe peach/pear/Viog bit soft slight honeyed/honeycomb quite complex finish w/ slight bitterness; lots of cedary/pencilly character; a beautiful fully-mature Viog.
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2. Yves Cuilleron LaPetiteCote Ad'OP: Condrieu (14.5%; 100% Viognier; Granite a muscovite; GrapeExpectations/Richmond) Chavany 2019: Med.dark gold color; beautiful very mineral classic Condrieu/Viog very perfumed/aromatic strong ripe peach light earthy/chalky very complex nose; quite tart very rich/lush strong mineral intense ripe peach/Viog/pear/bit floral very honeyed slight metallic/tangyquite complex flavor; very long/lingering ripe peach/pear/Viog/floral/almost muscatty quite mineral very rich/lush very complex finish that goes on & on; a beautiful classic Condrieu; not as intense/extracted as a Guigal but close enough; a beautiful svelte expression of Viog; not unreasonably priced as Condrieu goes at $57.00 (KK)
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3. EmbudoVllyVnyds Viog NM (??%; Paola d'Andrea vnyd/Deming) Embudo/NM 2021: Med.light yellow color; light grapey/appley/pear slight floral/Viog bit herbal very quiet bit vapid/dull nose; soft/fat slight appley/pear/earthy bit tangy/metallic quite dull/bland flavor; med.short bit earthy light appley/pear virtually no Viog fruit rather vapid/insipid/dull/bland finish; quite a dull expression of Viog; clearly an Oakland wine. $20.00 (SFW&S)
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More sticynerk from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. The Ojai was one of the most beautiful mature Viogs I've had since a recent TerreRouge Viog '11 w/ Bill & Jane Easton. That one had more perfumed Viog fruit but equally complex & beautiful.
The EmbudoVlly Viog was a profound disappointment. I had had a recently Jubilee White from Josh that I liked quite a lot. So I had high hopes for this wine. It did not deliver on those hopes. The grapes were grown by Paola d'Andrea down in Deming. It much too hot down there to grow good Viog and any Viog character was pretty much fried out of those grapes.
Tom