Veritas Vineyard & Winery Viognier 2010

2012 Thanksgiving. I was SO excited to see a Viognier among the wines brought by guests. Virginia Viognier has become a great love of mine. I am partial to one in particular though. I saw the Horton label and felt a bit deflated. With one sip of the Horton, there I was, in quiet fine dining with the uber-sophisticated market analyst when I thought I was in the underground foodie supper club with the hipster artist. That is the best way I can describe it. The sophisticated analyst is quite interesting, intellectual; you will always be fascinated and learn something and the hipster artist is fun, daring, emotionally intense, and reminds you to live with some measure of abandon. Horton is the intellectual analyst and the Veritas Viognier (my top choice) from Monticello is the emotionally intense artist who has me so ensorcelled. I went looking for something that would explain this dichotomy. I found a Washington Post article that was written several years ago on Virginia Viognier. It talked about the rise of Virginia Viognier since its huge and surprising taste-off win over California Viogniers 15 plus years ago. From that article: “A well-made Viognier smells of jasmine, honeysuckle and peach blossom. Two styles are emerging in Virginia. The first is lush and opulent with exuberant fruit, sometimes slightly sweet. The second is more austere and subtle in the classic fashion of the wines of Condrieu, Viognier’s homeland in France’s Rhone Valley. The latter style demands your attention to appreciate the wine’s nuances, an investment some drinkers might be unwilling to make. That would be a shame, for not only are these wines delicious now, but they have sufficient acidity and structure to improve in the bottle for four or five years.” You can see my analogy in this description I think. Clearly there is a fascinating Viognier dynamic here in Virginia. Test it yourself. The mood and attitude of these two style variations are so clear, so deliciously interesting.

Nose earthy slight raspberry. Bold taste with tannins but not harsh. Smooth finish.

Great with fish!