Viognier is most well knows as a component in many of France's Rhone wines.In the northern Rhone, Viognier is largely grown as a single varietal or isused as a stabilizing agent for the color in Northern Rhone reds, which are almost always Syrah dominant. In thesouthern Rhone, Viognier is almost exclusivelyused as a blending grape in whites from there, usually as a complement to grapessuch as Roussane, Marsanne, Clairette, and Grenache Blanc. For instance, the Domaine Mirelle & Vincent 2007Cotes-du-Rhone ($13-15) is made all of the above except the Grenacheandcontains about 10% Viognier. It's a very well-balanced, minerally white with aninteresting earthy flavor that makes it a nice pairing with any kind of roastedveggies or just to enjoy.
In the previous Viognier column, I focused on tasting singlevarietal Viognier. Honestly, I'm not as much of a fan of "pure"Viognier as I am other varietals (although if I started regularly drinking Condrieu,a high end northern Rhone Viognier, I might change my mind...). I think it's agreat companion grape. When properly blended, Viognier can contribute to thecreation of some really interesting wines.
At least for right now, the preponderance of these Viognierheavy blends seem to come out of Australia. The Ozzies love theirblends, and they're also best known worldwide for Shiraz. It would logically follow that they'dtry to experiment with the synergy that the French discovered. The blend isusually only with one other grape -- rather than the multi-grape mishmashes inthe Rhone.
When blended, Viognier tends to both tone down the juicinessof the traditional fruit bomb that can be Australian Shiraz. The intenselyaromatic nature of Viognier also adds a forward floral nose of its own anddeepens many of the existing flavors and scents of the red. It also adds alittle acidity to the finish to balance the tannins. A couple of examples I'vehad lately are the Woop Woop "TheBlack Chook" 2006 Shiraz/Viognier ($15-18) and the d'Arenberg 2006 "The Laughing Magpie" Shiraz/Viognier ($20-25).
The Black Chook ("Chook" is Australian for"chicken") is a big, full flavored wine that's excellent for drinkingon its own some evening when you want a hearty red. It's fruit-forward andpowerful without being cloyingly pop-tartish. There's a really interestingsmoky flavor to it that makes it line up almost perfectly with dark chocolate.The Laughing Magpie is a little more nuanced, although it's certainly bold likethe shiraz-dominant blend that it is. It's got a perfumey nose from theViognier with a strong scent of blooming lilacs (which I personally love). There are flavors of plums and nectarinesheading off in every drirection with a little bit of a chalky note. Finish isonly a little fruity, but very long with soft tannin and a slight acidity thatcontinues for well over a minute. I had this with marinated, grilled lamb chopsand wilted spinach. With the lamb, the flavors brought out the herbs in themarinade I was usingespecially the rosemary and thyme. The minerally tone alsolet it work with the spinach, which can ordinarily be a real wine killer.
On the white side of the fence, staying with our friends atd'Arenberg, I had their 2008 "TheHermit Crab" AdelaideViognier/Marsanne. (Don't you love the names of Australian wines?) TheHermit Crab, so named because this is similar to the dominant blend in whiteHermitage, wasn't as fragrant as I initially expected. Viognier and Marsanneare aromatic varietals, but their combination here is light, floral, and alittle citrusy. It's fruitier than I expected as well with lots of apricot andginger. It's not as dry as a lot of straight Viogniers, finishing up with arefreshing hint of sweet and some solid acidity. In general, flavorful, tasty,and great to drink on its own. It would also be a winner with some good spicyfoods. $15.
In the US, you'll typically see Viognier as a single varietal,although the "Rhone Rangers," a group of winemakers largely from theCentral Coast region of California who focus on Rhone varietals, have also donesome experiments with red blends that include Viognier. They tend to be fairlypricey, but when done well, they're absolutely dynamite. For instance, the Ridge 2005 Lytton Ridge Syrah fits thebill. It's around 80% syrah, but the 20% of makes this a fascinating blend. Thenose is wonderful. The big, plummy scents are there as you'd expect, but so isan appley note along with the traditional Viognier floweriness. The body ismedium on its face, but I think the viognier gives the wine length without itsimply coating the inside of your mouth. The finish is full, tannic, andextremely tasty. It's around $28, but it's a really nice, showy wine if youneed to impress.
