Flying Fox Viognier Monticello 2008

An 'average' Viognier for the buck, particularly when paired against some of the more concentrated and richer entries from the Shenandoah Valley (see: Barren Ridge, 2008 Viognier. Woof.)- but a promising start none the less.The fruit comes from an area called Stuarts Draft, located within the (very quickly) up & coming Shenandoah Valley AVA in Virginia- on the 'other side of the mountain' from the much more popular Monticello AVA. Melon and hints of lemon zest on the nose reveal a light-medium bodied mouthfeel that is pleasant if not "mouth-coating" and luxurious as other have been. If I wasn't a bit jaded in my fortune to have tried more than two dozen Virginia Viogniers from the '08 vintage, I would think this to be a good starter for the doubters concerning the growing capabilities of Virginia and this now-famous white Rhone varietal that has found a home in the Virginia soils. I believe my experience with this wine may have also been jaded since it received such high praise from the woman behind the counter when I brought up the topic of the '08 Barren Ridge Viognier being a candidate for my own little 'White of the year" out of the 'Commonwealth'- and she responded that the Flying Fox was better. To which I now reply, quietly: "Ehhh... maybe '09?" Even for the money, and particularly for the value, I have to say- it's not even in the ballpark. But that is a very tough comparison, as the '08 from Barren Ridge is lightening in a bottle in its own right, and tough to beat- 'Commonwealth-Wide". I am still intrigued enough to pay a visit to Flying Fox Vineyards in the coming weeks to try more of what I feel is a promising start.