Last week I came upon a tweet on Twitter from LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards that announced that their 2008 Generations Viognier had won a Platinum metal at the Monterey Wine Competition. I had been looking for an excuse, and admittedly I didn't really need much of an excuse, to open the bottle of this wine that Joe Lange had sent me as a sample from the winery. Thanks to the good folks judging the Monterey Wine Competition, I have my excuse.
Viognier (pronounced Vee-on-yay) is a wine that I have really been enjoying recently. The aromatic character of Viognier makes it great if you like to take some time savoring the nose on your wine. This is a variety that I have been seeing more often here in Texas, in fact, my friend Russ Kane from VintageTexas has referred to Viognier as "Texas Chardonnay". Today, however, I am tasting a California Viognier. I have written about LangeTwins wine before, and have really enjoyed the wines that I have had from them in the past.
This wine has a very light, straw colored hue to it. On the nose, pineapple and pear jump out, along with some really beautiful floral notes and some stone fruit. This nose definitely delivers the fragrant character that i associate with Viognier. The mouthfeel of this wine is big and mouth-coating. I get the same pear and tropical notes on the palate, along with a bit of spice and a touch of acidity. The nose on this wine might suggest a bit of sweetness, but this is definitely a dry wine. There is a nice honeyed tone to the wine that will probably convince some that there is some sweet action going on, but there is very little residual sugar in this wine.
I thought that this was a very nice wine, and I think that the Monterey Wine Competition was right to dole out some honors to LangeTwins for this one. If you have the opportunity to purchase this wine, I would definitely recommend grabbing some. At $16, I think that this wine is a great value. Whether you are experienced with Viognier or not, I think this is a great wine to try.
Just the facts -
| Wine Color: | White | |
| Sweet/Dry: | Dry | |
| Balanced? | Very well balanced, especially considering this next number… | |
| Alcohol: | 14.9% | |
| Primary flavors/aromas: | Floral, tropical | |
| Price: | $16 retail, or $12.80 for club members |
Note: You should also check out this article that was written by one of the judges at the Monterey Wine Competition. He has some great things to say about LangeTwins, and about this wine.
Really enjoying Viognier lately. I have one showing up in a video tomorrow. 14.9%abv? yikes, that’ll hit ya hard.
Josh
I’ve sampled a few Viogniers and really enjoyed them. Thanks for sharing this recommendation.
Viognier is always a fun wine, especially with the warmer weather coming on. This Rhone varietal is a great change-up from the standards (Chard/Sauv Blanc).
Ever have a Chateauneuf du Pape with Viognier in the blend?
–Brian
http://norcalwingman.com
When the Viognier was in the cellar, it filled the whole winery with its aromas! Such a aromatic white…
Glad you enjoyed it!
Cheers,
Joe
14.9% is pretty high, which I don’t think is entirely unusual for a Viognier. There really wasn’t a noticeable heat on the wine, so this one might be a good one if you are trying to get the wife liquored up for…, well, you know.
Sure, glad to. Viognier makes such a great food wine too, which I’m sure you will appreciate.
You are totally right about Viognier making a great alternative to Chardonnay or Sauv Blanc. I would definitely recommend it to someone looking to try something different this Spring/Summer.
I have had a CDP with some Viognier. I actually had a Rhone style blend from Texas not too long ago that had some Viognier in it. Really interesting to see a white grape included in a red blend.
Man, I bet that was heaven. I’d love to have been there. Thanks for the comment Joe!