The Viognier Grape

Viognier is a white-wine grape whose originas are unclear; best current guesses are that it arose in the same areas it dominates today, the northern Rhône area of France (and in particular the regions of Condrieu and Ampuis). It is today widely considered one of the dozen and a half or so “Noble wine grapes” of the world.

Viognier, like many another varietal, is a “rescue” of recent times. Once regionally popular, by a quarter-century ago its plantings had dwindled severely, to the point where it might have been considered at risk of extinction (c. 30 acres total). But a revival of interest has catapaulted the grape into international prominence in modern times.

At least one eminent wine expert has stated that modern Viognier plantings are of two clones, with rather markedly differing characteristics: an “Old World” clone, dominating plantings in Viognier’s home, the Condrieu appellation of France, and a “New World” clone found outside France but also in the Languedoc region of France. Besides French plantings, there are also now extensive vineyards of Viognier in the usual-suspect New World wine regions, the U.S. (notably in the Pacific Northwest and in Virginia), Oceania (Australia & New Zealand), South America (Chile & Argentina), and South Africa.

The foremost characteristic of Viognier wines is a powerfully floral nose, suggestive of Riesling or Muscat, but even more floral (if less “spicy”), thoroughly lush. These qualities manifest strongly when the wines are young, but as a generality do not last well in the bottle, with three years from vintage date often being cited as the limit for reliable drinking. It is not, however, that the wines become “bad” when aged; rather, it is that they lose that floral quality and evolve into crisp but, as some put it, “flat” wines. But, since the pungent florality is the distinguishing and wanted quality, drinking them young is advisable. French Viognier-based wines are typically drunk shortly after release; New World wines can be so handled, but are a bit more inclined to at least tolerate some mild age.

Factoid: DNA analysis has shown Viognier to be closely related to Syrah, as well as the Italian Freisa grape, and more distantly to the eminent Italian red-wine grape Nebbiolo.

Some Descriptions of Viognier Wines

Wikipedia
“Viognier wines are well known for their floral aromas, due to terpenes, which are also found in Muscat and Riesling wines. There are also many other powerful flower and fruit aromas which can be perceived in these wines depending on where they were grown, the weather conditions and how old the vines were. Although some of these wines, especially those from old vines and the late-harvest wines, are suitable for aging, most are intended to be consumed young. Viogniers more than three years old tend to lose many of the floral aromas that make this wine unique. Aging these wines will often yield a very crisp drinking wine which is almost completely flat in the nose. The color and the aroma of the wine suggest a sweet wine but Viognier wines are predominantly dry…It is a grape with low acidity; it is sometimes used to soften wines made predominantly with the red Syrah grape. In addition to its softening qualities the grape also adds a stabilizing agent and enhanced perfume to the red wine.”
Wine Searcher
“Viognier is an aromatic grape variety known for producing textural white wines with strong stone-fruit flavors. On the nose Viognier wines can be very floral, showing lavender and pollen aromas that are quite honeyed in sweeter examples. Apricots are the variety’s classic flavor association, often with a richness that can be interpreted as ripe peach…Viognier grapes have naturally low acidity and require a great deal of sunshine to ripen properly. Too much heat and they yield overblown, hotly alcoholic wine that lacks the fresh, steely, apricot zing that is part of the variety’s appeal.”
Enjoying Viognier (an entire web site dedicated to Viognier)
“[Viognier] needs to be picked when fully ripe. If it is picked too early it fails to develop its classic aromas and rich tastes. But despite, or perhaps because of, this precariousness it has the most amazing clear, golden colour and the aroma of flowers and fruits at their freshest. Many talk of being surprised by the taste; the colour and nose hinting at something sweeter but the actually taste being dry with a variety of nuances both on the tongue and afterwards…The significant differences in taste between the Condrieu/Château-Grillet wines and those of the rest of France and the World have been put down to a number of factors. Two of the most prevalent are the soil and the strain of vine. The soils of the Northern Rhône have a light sandy topsoil over granite while many of the other growing areas are more loamy to clay-like. There is also some suggestion that a mutant strain of the vine has appeared recently which now characterises most recent plantings and which results in grapes producing wine with less concentration…Although low-acidity Viogniers do not require the heavy oaking to provide balance, some sensitive use of oak barrels can enhance the overall flavour.”
Professional Friends of Wine
“Like many other varietals, viognier must be harvested at its peak of maturity in order to display its unique aroma and flavor character. The grape’s tendency to develop high sugar but low acid can result in wines with neutral, merely vinous flavors and high alcohol…Probably the main attraction of Viognier is its potentially powerful, rich, and complex aroma that often seems like overripe apricots mixed with orange blossoms or acacia. With as distinctive and sweet an aroma-flavor profile as Gewürztraminer, Viognier is nevertheless usually made in a dry style and seems to appeal more to the typical Chardonnay drinker. The distinctive Viognier perfume holds up even when blended with a large portion of other grapes. The fruit usually has very deep color, but is somewhat low in acidity…Viognier alcohol easily gets out-of-hand, so some vintners leave a touch of residual sugar to mask the heat. The combination of heady aromas and sweet-hot flavors may be overbearing to some palates. Even for those who favor Viognier’s brash personality, a little can go a long way and a single glass may satiate one's wine thirst…Because the prime appeal of Viognier is its fresh and striking aroma, it is a wine that should be consumed young in most instances. The exception is Château Grillet, where the grapes are harvested early and the wine kept in oak for several months prior to bottling; this wine has a reputation for aging up to two decades.”
Total Wine
“Viognier is capable of producing extraordinary wines with peachy aromas. On the palate, there are dry, luscious flavors of tree fruit, nuttiness and undertones of spice. At its best, it is lush and rich with amazing complexity…Aromas: Floral, Peach, Apricots, Apple. Flavors: Peach, Apricot, Apple, Nutty. Styles: Dry and medium-bodied with loads of fruit flavors.”
A Good Time With Wine
“Typical markers, or notes, of viognier include white floral such as honey-suckle or jasmine, as well as orange blossom. Along with a honey or honey-suckle notes, you’ll also find stone fruit flavors, peach, apricot, nectarine, as well as a nice spice component that can be described as baking spices. On the palate, you will find it to be typically fuller bodied, often with an oily or ‘lanolin’ feel in your mouth.”
Wines of Chile
“This lush white from the French Rhone Valley is Syrah’s sister grape and one of the few white grapes that grows well in warmer climates. Its wines are rich and aromatic with pronounced notes of apricot and peach, often coupled with floral notes of orange blossom and honey.”
Tablas Creek Vineyard
“Viognier’s powerful aromas of peaches, apricots, and violets make it one of the world’s most recognizable grape varieties. In the mouth, it shows great richness, flavors of stone fruit and honey, and a long finish. It is typically best drunk young.”
Wine Geeks
“[T]he wines it produces have a rich golden color even when young. Viognier is noted for making wine with a very perfumed aroma that can be compared to roasted pineapple, peach syrup, flowers or even fennel. The wines tend to be viscous and rich, with low levels of acidity. The better examples can be quite fascinating but if over production is a problem it can easily slip from big to oily and flabby.”
wine.com
“The Viognier grape attacks your nose with notes of peach, apricot and other tropical fruits. Aromatic to say the least, this varietal is tough to grow, due to the narrow window of time when the aromatics and acids are at their peak. The best wines made from Viognier have a good balance of aromatic fruits and acid. The intensity of the fruit may be detected by tastebuds as sweet, although most Viogniers are dry. Not the best partner for a light meal, wine from this grape is nice with heavier sauces or rich shellfish.”
Jancis Robinson
“Other cheap Viogniers, especially but not exclusively Pays d’Oc, have such strangely cosmetic aromas, more reminiscent of air freshener than anything that grows in the ground, that I have been tempted to think that an artificial flavouring has been used.”

Some Viogniers to Try

Because Viognier is nowadays a “fashionable” wine, prices for decent-or-better stuff are through the roof. But, as is often the case, with a lot of tedious research one can discover some pretty good stuff at reasonable prices—if not always with large availability. Here are our findings.

For a Splurge

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This page was last modified on Saturday, 30 October 2021, at 11:26 pm Pacific Time.

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