Miguel Torres 'Tormenta' ViognierChile, Central Valley, 2006
24,000W Shindong Wine in Hyundai Department Store, Cheonho.
A nice bunch of Viognier(Vee-on-nyey) grapes there. Viognier is a very fashionable grape, due to the expensive and expressive wines of Condrieu in the Rhone. As is the way in the wine business, the New World took note and started planting their own Viognier to piggy back on the popularity. A good thing certainly, Viognier is a really interesting white with great character but some plantings are certainly not wise. It needs to be fully ripe to produce its aromatic qualities and in too hot a region this leads to alcoholic blockbusters......
This wine(no picture, the bottle made it to recycling before the camera got it. It has a moody modern label though) is fairly light in intensity, a clear and bright lemon green.
The nose is fairly powerful, you get a nice head full of youthful fruit smells. Anise is taking centre stage, really dominating the other aromas. However there are some classic Viognier characteristics, ripe melon, peach and a very appealing floral element. This manifested itself in cherry lips for me(remember them?). It is a really aromatic nose and is a pretty good example of what a Viognier should smell like.
Drinking, it is dry and fairly intense and full bodied. It is a mouth full of wine for sure. The acidity is surprisingly good, Viognier can suffer from a lack of acidity but this is sufficiently mouth watering. What is really noticeable is the alcohol though, there is that tell-tale burn at the back of the throat. There is lime and apricot and the finish is almost almondy. The floral elements follow through as well fortunately with orange blossom notes. Nice flavours then. But...... The alcohol is too high. It is, for want of a better expression, kicking the shit out of the wine. It has this slightly harsh effect on the overall experience, so rather than a wonderful, soft, aromatic wine we are getting a kick in the face. With Doc Martens.
I may be exaggerating a bit. I am somewhat scarred by a South African Viognier that was 14.5% and oaked into submission. Still, I haven't seen many Viogniers here so if you are in the market for something a bit different and fancy getting drunk then this is well worth a punt.
5 comments:
14.5 percent! Damn! I don't think that I've ever drunk a wine that strong! Other than that, it sounds quite good. I may have to try it.
Jeffery Hodges
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Right, I've tried Viognier. I didn't like it. when I told you this you said it was because it required a fairly educated palate and was clearly beyond my lager and kebab range. Fine. If I'd known it was 14.5 percent I'd have soldiered on! Seriously squirrel boy, you withheld a key fact there.
Last night I had fizzy red wine with a 5 bean chilli. I certainly knew about *that* this morning
By the way, the lady G is lurking here now. Say hello to her.
HJH: This one weighed in at a mere 14% alcohol. It was a S.African Viognier that was trying to get itself classified as fortified....
bb: Did I say it required an educated palate! Ha. Nice and mean spirited there then. Still, I was probably right at the time. I am sure that is not the case any more....
Never had sparkling red. I am sure you can line some up for us, along with a 96 Bolli for our return??
Maybe not.
Hello the lady G.
Fizzy red will be forthcoming if you promise to blog some of the delights of your imminent brief visit to God's Own (I'm thinking tasting notes on 8 pints of Carling and a bag of Monster Munch)
Not sure about the Bolli though....one bottle left, I reckon you might need a spanner to get it out of the chap's sweaty grasp...
Authoritative but soft, like a dominatrix in satin. Chewy and worthy of respect. Matches well with brown butter pasta sauces, seafood, and rosemary roasted poultry. Lovely over all stages of the experience.
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