| Viognier Tasting Report |
Since we were already stepping out of our staff members
comfort zone with a zany and wild style of wine,
(Viognier) I felt it was appropriate for us to try a
restaurant that would put us a bit out of our element as
well. Okay, the cuisine just happened to be a good match
with Viognier wines too! We choose to have this staff
tasting at the Pasand Indian restaurant on Coit and
Campbell in Richardson. The food was fantastic if not
exotic. Lots of interesting spices and hot (spicy) dishes.
They also give you several types of sauces to dip things
like bread, rice and appetizers in and all were again,
outstanding to say the least. I’m not sure that the
restaurant staff knew what to make of ten people
trouncing in with a two coolers full of wine and our
blatant inability to interpret their menu, but they were
very accommodating and the experience was quite
enjoyable.
As for the line-up of wines, we covered four wine regions
in three countries. One from Australia’s Barossa Valley,
One from the birthplace of Viognier, being Condrieu,
France in the Rhone Valley, two from the Vin de Pays D’
OC wine regions of France, and the remaining five from
central and northern California. I half expected the
wines from France to be too different for everyone’s
palate, but hey, you can never play it safe or life gets
boring. One did well, but the other two, including the
most prestigious and expensive Viognier wine, finished
near the bottom. The Australian proved to be consistent,
but not incredible and since France and Australia were
the only other challengers in this tasting, that left the
door wide open for California to take top honors.
I think we learned that most Viognier wines complement
the spicy Indian cuisine quite well. This is good news
because Indian food is difficult to pair with wine.
Although Viognier has a little in common with
Chardonnay in terms of mouth-feel and body weight, the
similarities stop there. There’s just no other wine that
tastes quite like it and the flavors are fruits of the more
exotic variety. Here is how we ranked them:
comfort zone with a zany and wild style of wine,
(Viognier) I felt it was appropriate for us to try a
restaurant that would put us a bit out of our element as
well. Okay, the cuisine just happened to be a good match
with Viognier wines too! We choose to have this staff
tasting at the Pasand Indian restaurant on Coit and
Campbell in Richardson. The food was fantastic if not
exotic. Lots of interesting spices and hot (spicy) dishes.
They also give you several types of sauces to dip things
like bread, rice and appetizers in and all were again,
outstanding to say the least. I’m not sure that the
restaurant staff knew what to make of ten people
trouncing in with a two coolers full of wine and our
blatant inability to interpret their menu, but they were
very accommodating and the experience was quite
enjoyable.
As for the line-up of wines, we covered four wine regions
in three countries. One from Australia’s Barossa Valley,
One from the birthplace of Viognier, being Condrieu,
France in the Rhone Valley, two from the Vin de Pays D’
OC wine regions of France, and the remaining five from
central and northern California. I half expected the
wines from France to be too different for everyone’s
palate, but hey, you can never play it safe or life gets
boring. One did well, but the other two, including the
most prestigious and expensive Viognier wine, finished
near the bottom. The Australian proved to be consistent,
but not incredible and since France and Australia were
the only other challengers in this tasting, that left the
door wide open for California to take top honors.
I think we learned that most Viognier wines complement
the spicy Indian cuisine quite well. This is good news
because Indian food is difficult to pair with wine.
Although Viognier has a little in common with
Chardonnay in terms of mouth-feel and body weight, the
similarities stop there. There’s just no other wine that
tastes quite like it and the flavors are fruits of the more
exotic variety. Here is how we ranked them:
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| EXP Viognier 2002 – Dunnigan Hills, California |
Nose – An aromatic firework display of apricot,
guava, mango, orange blossom and honeysuckle.
Taste – This is not your grandmother’s white
wine! A wild ride of exotic fruits, this Viognier is
both fragrant and complex with a thick and
luscious mouth-feel. The ride comes to a close
with zippity lime and kiwi accents on the finish.
EXP is the budget brand of wines from R.H.
Phillips and I have to tell you, I haven’t had a bad
EXP wine yet. Their Chardonnay is pretty darn
good as well. Right from the first whiff of the
glass, this wine demanded your attention. Aside
from just being a lot of fun to drink, this wine
went extremely well with the spicy Indian cuisine
we were dining on during our tasting. I bet it
would be equally as exciting with seafood dishes.
guava, mango, orange blossom and honeysuckle.
Taste – This is not your grandmother’s white
wine! A wild ride of exotic fruits, this Viognier is
both fragrant and complex with a thick and
luscious mouth-feel. The ride comes to a close
with zippity lime and kiwi accents on the finish.
EXP is the budget brand of wines from R.H.
Phillips and I have to tell you, I haven’t had a bad
EXP wine yet. Their Chardonnay is pretty darn
good as well. Right from the first whiff of the
glass, this wine demanded your attention. Aside
from just being a lot of fun to drink, this wine
went extremely well with the spicy Indian cuisine
we were dining on during our tasting. I bet it
would be equally as exciting with seafood dishes.
| Around $10.99 |
| Score - A- |
| Jean Paul Clement Viognier 2000 – Vin de Pays D’OC, France |
Nose – Very green and minty with soft accents of
guava and honey.
Taste – Despite its golden color and four years of
age, this wine still tasted very young and green
with subtle layers of fruit like pears, guava and
orange. This may have been the driest wine of
the tasting. Quite refreshing!
This Viognier was definitely different from the
others. Everything about it was much more
subtle and that allowed for some magical things to
happen with the food we were eating. A great
food wine as you would come to expect from a
country that revolves its entire well being around
the dinner table.
guava and honey.
Taste – Despite its golden color and four years of
age, this wine still tasted very young and green
with subtle layers of fruit like pears, guava and
orange. This may have been the driest wine of
the tasting. Quite refreshing!
This Viognier was definitely different from the
others. Everything about it was much more
subtle and that allowed for some magical things to
happen with the food we were eating. A great
food wine as you would come to expect from a
country that revolves its entire well being around
the dinner table.
| Around $10.00 |
| Score B+ |
| Treana 2000 – Paso Robles, California It is a blend of 66% Viognier & 34% Marsanne |
Nose – Bountiful layers of honey and vanilla to
go around.
Taste – Lots of oak flavors on the palate that
dominate the wine with butterscotch, vanilla and a
buttery texture. A little tropical fruit shows
through, but very Chardonnay-like.
This wine did not resemble the others in our
tasting at all. The fact that it tasted so different
had nothing to do with it being a blend of
Marsanne and Viognier. That particular
combination is quite common. It really had to do
with the strong presence of wood in the wine.
With all of the oak flavors present in the wine, it
was not an ideal match with the spicy Indian
food. In fact, it turned rather sweet when tasted
along with the food. Maybe it would have been
better suited for the dessert at the end of our
meal. Chris Phelps is the winemaker that makes
this wine for Treana. Maybe you’ve heard of
some of his other wines, like Caymus Conundrum.
go around.
Taste – Lots of oak flavors on the palate that
dominate the wine with butterscotch, vanilla and a
buttery texture. A little tropical fruit shows
through, but very Chardonnay-like.
This wine did not resemble the others in our
tasting at all. The fact that it tasted so different
had nothing to do with it being a blend of
Marsanne and Viognier. That particular
combination is quite common. It really had to do
with the strong presence of wood in the wine.
With all of the oak flavors present in the wine, it
was not an ideal match with the spicy Indian
food. In fact, it turned rather sweet when tasted
along with the food. Maybe it would have been
better suited for the dessert at the end of our
meal. Chris Phelps is the winemaker that makes
this wine for Treana. Maybe you’ve heard of
some of his other wines, like Caymus Conundrum.
| Score B+ |
| About $26.00 |
| Pepperwood Grove Viognier 2002 – Napa Valley, California |
Nose – Floral fragrances of honey suckle and
jasmine followed up with dried apricots.
Taste – There is plenty of refreshing amounts of
acidity, much more than in the others. The
acidity fades into a buttery ocean of tangerines,
limes and apricots.
Pepperwood Grove is always receiving a “Best
Buy” nod from magazines like Wine Spectator or
Wine Enthusiast. This wine did not disappoint us
either. Not a bad food wine and in fact, I would
suggest saving your money by buying this wine at
$10.00 and shelling out the cash for the Lobster!
jasmine followed up with dried apricots.
Taste – There is plenty of refreshing amounts of
acidity, much more than in the others. The
acidity fades into a buttery ocean of tangerines,
limes and apricots.
Pepperwood Grove is always receiving a “Best
Buy” nod from magazines like Wine Spectator or
Wine Enthusiast. This wine did not disappoint us
either. Not a bad food wine and in fact, I would
suggest saving your money by buying this wine at
$10.00 and shelling out the cash for the Lobster!
| Around $9.99 |
| Score B+ |
| Rideau Viognier 2001 – Santa Barbara, California |
Nose – Very unusual aromas of toast, hay and
cream soda.
Taste – A mouthful of creamy, buttery vanilla,
mango fruits and a little touch of lime on the
finish. Very sweet tasting with only slight traces
of acidity.
This wine was not a hit with our spicy Indian
food. The spicier the food, the sweeter this wine
tasted. I believe that this Viognier was either
loved by some or disliked very much by others.
There were no in-between scores for it. You
make the call, do you like your wines a little
sweet?
cream soda.
Taste – A mouthful of creamy, buttery vanilla,
mango fruits and a little touch of lime on the
finish. Very sweet tasting with only slight traces
of acidity.
This wine was not a hit with our spicy Indian
food. The spicier the food, the sweeter this wine
tasted. I believe that this Viognier was either
loved by some or disliked very much by others.
There were no in-between scores for it. You
make the call, do you like your wines a little
sweet?
| Score B+ |
| Around $17.00 |
| Yalumba Viognier 2003 – Barossa Valley, Australia |
Nose – Enticing perfumed aromas of violets,
orange blossom and honey suckle.
Taste – Perhaps not as complex as some of the
others, it still peaks your interest with careful
thoughts of orange peel, candied fruits and spicy
tropical fruit flavors.
I was excited to try this Viognier. When you are
looking for Viognier wines in Australia, Yalumba
is the name that keeps popping up as the winery
that pioneered Viognier in Australia. It was a
solid wine and probably received the most
consistent scores among the tasting panel. You
should take that in consideration because that
means although not outstanding, it is indeed a
very likeable wine. Try it with fish or chicken.
orange blossom and honey suckle.
Taste – Perhaps not as complex as some of the
others, it still peaks your interest with careful
thoughts of orange peel, candied fruits and spicy
tropical fruit flavors.
I was excited to try this Viognier. When you are
looking for Viognier wines in Australia, Yalumba
is the name that keeps popping up as the winery
that pioneered Viognier in Australia. It was a
solid wine and probably received the most
consistent scores among the tasting panel. You
should take that in consideration because that
means although not outstanding, it is indeed a
very likeable wine. Try it with fish or chicken.
| About $15.00 |
| Score B |
| Vale’ Viognier 2001 – Vin de Pays D’OC, France |
Nose – Somewhat closed, especially for an
aromatic varietal like Viognier, but traces of
apricots and honey do pull through.
Taste – Delicate layers of lychees and honeydew
melon that persist all the way to the finish. Rich
in texture but not at all exotic.
Sometimes it is a blessing to be the first wine in
the tasting and sometimes it is a curse. I found
this wine very pleasant and it complemented the
food very well. Unfortunately it preceded the top-
scoring wine, EXP, and was quickly forgotten by
the tasting panel. This would make a very tasty
choice for seafood and chicken dishes.
aromatic varietal like Viognier, but traces of
apricots and honey do pull through.
Taste – Delicate layers of lychees and honeydew
melon that persist all the way to the finish. Rich
in texture but not at all exotic.
Sometimes it is a blessing to be the first wine in
the tasting and sometimes it is a curse. I found
this wine very pleasant and it complemented the
food very well. Unfortunately it preceded the top-
scoring wine, EXP, and was quickly forgotten by
the tasting panel. This would make a very tasty
choice for seafood and chicken dishes.
| Score B |
| $8.00 |
| E. Guigal Condrieu (Viognier) – A.O.C Condrieu in Rhone Valley, France |
Nose – This wine doesn’t give up the goods
immediately only teasing you with hints of hay,
lime and tropical fruits.
Taste – Although the nose was somewhat closed,
the fruit flavors really come bursting through on
the palate. You are bowled over by powerful
waves of pears, lychees, kiwi, mango and lime.
Very well made with a long finish.
Once again, my Anti-French staff members with a
California palate dissed another beauty! Not that
I’m bitter or anything! J How could you not like
one of the purest forms of the Viognier varietal?
I must confess, although it was extremely well
made, it did little to stand out among the crowd.
If you really want to impress your date, get this
bottle of wine and order the surf and turf!
immediately only teasing you with hints of hay,
lime and tropical fruits.
Taste – Although the nose was somewhat closed,
the fruit flavors really come bursting through on
the palate. You are bowled over by powerful
waves of pears, lychees, kiwi, mango and lime.
Very well made with a long finish.
Once again, my Anti-French staff members with a
California palate dissed another beauty! Not that
I’m bitter or anything! J How could you not like
one of the purest forms of the Viognier varietal?
I must confess, although it was extremely well
made, it did little to stand out among the crowd.
If you really want to impress your date, get this
bottle of wine and order the surf and turf!
| Score B |
| Around $44.00 |
| Rabbit Ridge Viognier 2002 - Paso Robles, California |
Nose – It’s no secret, your smelling apricots and
lots of them!
Taste – A smooth dose of rich and flavorful fruits
like kiwi, mango and hello…apricots! Maybe a
touch sweet but not overly so. True to varietal
form.
Okay, I liked this one, I guess only a few others
shared my opinion. It reminded me of Cline’s
Viognier, another California Winery. I found it
very tasty and may be a good wine to sip by the
pool. Try it with some fruit, I don’t know, say
something like….uh….oh yea, Apricots!
lots of them!
Taste – A smooth dose of rich and flavorful fruits
like kiwi, mango and hello…apricots! Maybe a
touch sweet but not overly so. True to varietal
form.
Okay, I liked this one, I guess only a few others
shared my opinion. It reminded me of Cline’s
Viognier, another California Winery. I found it
very tasty and may be a good wine to sip by the
pool. Try it with some fruit, I don’t know, say
something like….uh….oh yea, Apricots!
| About $16.00 |
| Score B- |
