Tag Archives: Viognier

Nov2

A Wine for a Jedi

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A Wine for a Jedi

Skywalker Vineyards

Big news this week about Disney buying up Lucasfilm and with it the Star Wars franchise. You might know that George is in the wine game with his Skywalker Vineyards, but as we wait for Star Wars on Ice and a slew of new Disneyfied Jedi flicks to hit the theaters over the next Millennia or three, I ponder what wine would a Jedi drink?

One’s Force-sensitive mind can first turn only to the the Jedi High Council. When these academic space knights ponder the balance of good and evil in the universe in their ancient kick-ass wisdom, wine must the best thinking man’s companion. Hidden deep under their palace must be wine cellars built during the glory days of the old Republic, stocked row upon row with liquid more elevated than some high-yield, Australian plonk or, even more unlikely, yet another clone varietal approved by the mess of an Imperial Senate. I mean, can you picture Sam L Jackson downing a Two Buck Chuck before dispensing with yet more of Palpatine’s droid lackeys?

But of them, Yoda, the gnarliest of them all, would surely go for something even more old world. Perhaps an old vines red that personifies a terroir of suffering and rigor, from a long-forgotten stone-rimmed clos, of vines that have railed quietly against the vile elements and poxes of phylloxera and its ilk. A Mourvedre from Bandol or Chile’s forgotten Old Vine Cariganane.

With the skywalking Luke himself most likely going Romney on us (though if you find him in a bar at some grimy spaceport, he’d assure you he’s drinking a Sardinian Cannonau, because to a young swashbuckling whose adrenalin is laced with too many midi-chlorians, Cannoanau sounds like a cool thing to drink) and Darth Maul surely preferring over the top fruit-bombed oak monsters of country clubbing Cali cab cults, a wine geek can only turn to Darth Vader for a finer palate. If our first true Sith love were ever to touch down on our fair little planet without going all Alderaan on us, I’d dare to think he’s a Bordeaux man, willing to wait out the years and trilogies and coax out the best from a tight, young Pomerol that with time he would uncork on us as a mean, aged menace of a Merlot.

With the Siths accounted for, I think, we turn our eyes to the greybeard who got the ball rolling so many years ago – Obi-Wan. Luke only knew Ben Kenobi as a recluse hermit before galavanting to the Death Star with him on the old coot’s journey to suicidal elevation. And what would a lonely old hermit (with unnaturally neatly cropped beard, mind you) sip on as he waits for his death duel? Pondering your destiny at the wrong end of a Sith lord’s laser sword calls for nothing other than the distraction of a complex Viognier white wine from Condrieu, that windswept godliness of steep hillsides in France’s Rhone valley.

Oh wait… oh dear… I’m feeling that all too familiar tingle of the beginnings of a force choke hold (or is that my peanut allergy acting up? Damn you, Halloween candy). The Emperor – that wily rascal – mind-blocked me. But as my wife knows, I can’t resist the lure of the dark side and all the swill it has to offer, and the Emperor can’t keep my prying eyes from his stash. And if Vader’s drinking a Petrus worth a couple grand, the Emperor won’t be outdone and has had his minions scanning star systems far and wide for starship wrecks to enjoy outrageously priced Chateau Lafites of bygone centuries. And trust me, if it’s gone all vinegar on him, he’s so puckered up already, you won’t know it. Be warned, though, that if you’re stuck in a room with Palpatine, he’s gonna draw comparisons between the eventual domination of the wine world by Lafite and its mighty Bordeaux ilk and his own eventual domination of the galaxy. In this case, walk away. Just walk away.

And so we have come to the end of our journey to a galaxy of wine long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away. May the force be with you and your sipping habits, and remember, when shopping for that Thanksgiving wine for dinner at the in-laws and you’re in the store by the animal logo wines, it’s good to remember that fateful line from the assault of the first Death Star, “Stay on target, stay on target” and head for something more, shall we say, Force-sensitive. If not, well, she might have this in mind…

Oct30

Rhone-style Whites

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Rhone-style Whites

The most recent media tasting at the HQ of Le Vieux Pin and La Stella sister wineries afforded a terrific chance to taste and compare a slew of Rhone-style whites from new world and old. The wines ran the gamut from the unctuous to the withdrawn, audacious to elegant.

White Rhone-style blends consist of two or more white grapes, principally including Viognier, Rousanne, Marsanne and Grenache Blanc, and other white grapes may also be included. In the Rhone, Viognier typically flies solo in the Northern Rhone and absent in the Southern Rhone. Marsanne and Roussanne are usually found together both in and outside of the Rhone region. Outside the Rhone, blends mostly come from California and Australia, but in today’s lineup, there are also several solid versions from Canada.

Alrighty then, let’s put on our Rhone Ranger masks and get on with this showdown:

First up was Moon Curser’s 2010 Afraid of the Dark – Honeysuckle, crisp white nectarine, formidable acidity. We covered this wine more than a year ago, so it’s interesting to come back to the same vintage after such a break. Interesting to note that in the 2011 version of the Afraid of the Dark, Chardonnay takes over for Viognier.

E. Guigal 2009 La Doriane Condrieu (100% Viognier) – Entrancing spice and musk on the nose. Deceptively light mouth feel. On the palate, the musk follows through. Also a hint of peaches and toasty caramel. A complex wine to ponder with time.

Black Hills 2010 Viognier – A waxy, rounded nose… (okay, I know that description got a little too Madame Tussaud’s, but I’ll try to gather myself and bring this one in). Crisp stone fruit from the early summer, a fair bit of the old acidity. A hint of bitter almonds on the finish.

Laughing Stock 2011 Viognier – A discreet nose of apricots and orange peel. Citrus dominates on the palate. Medium acidity, and balance. A long, light and pleasant finish. This is Laughing Stock’s third Viognier vintage and from their Perfect Hedge Vineyard in Osoyoos, in the Okanagan valley.

Treana 2008 Central Coast (55% Marsanne, 45% Viognier) – Sweet, overripe fruit dominated by stewed apricots. oily, unctuous. This is not my style of wine, but I can see some of you out there really enjoying the Treana.

Le Vieux Pin 2010 Ava (Viognier/Roussanne/Marsanne) – Honeysuckle, tropical fruit, a touch of lemongrass. Balanced, the acidity is spot on to balance out the fruit. A more subtle, shier cousin to the ’11 Ava, it’s got the same genes but not as much coaxed out of it than it’s younger cousin. Only 250+ cases were produced and it’s now sold out, so turn to the ’11 to get your fix.

Le Vieux Pin 2011 Ava – A gorgeous nose of sweet honeysuckle. On the palate, there’s honey-dipped stone fruit. Gentle acidity. The finish is long and brings back hints of the sweetness from the nose. The ’11 Ava takes over where the ’10 left off, and raises Ava’s game to a whole new level while maintaining a backbone of continuity of style. There’s an air of classical refinement to the ’11 Ava that conjures up an Marie Antoinette’s fairy tale France unburdened by reality.

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Jun25

2010 Stoneboat Chorus

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2010 Stoneboat Chorus

The chorus is the catchiest, most memorable part of many songs, and true to its name, the 2010 Stoneboat Chorus is a memorable blend.

An intriguing concoction of six grapes (Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Viognier, Muller Thurgau, Kerner, Schoenburger), the perfumed nose is promising of delicious, juicy tropical fruits. On the palate, it then surprises nicely with bursts with crisp green apple, trailed by softer hints of peach. The refreshing acidity nicely dominates the alcohol (12.3%). A perfect wine for the summer BBQ and patio under the sun.

Though a unique blend, the racy acidity and nature of the 2010 Chorus are characteristic of what I think to be true Okanagan whites, which this British Columbia region is becoming to be increasingly known for.

Stoneboat Vineyards is a family owned and operated winery in the Okanagan valley, in British Columbia, Canada. The valley is a source of some whites. If you’re not familiar with the wines from the Okanagan, which can be spectacular (see our article on James Suckling’s tasting of Canadian wines), get your hands on some if you can.

Jun9

Le Vieux Pin

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Le Vieux Pin
Le Vieux Pin

Earlier this spring, the Wineshout team was invited to the Le Vieux Pin New Release Tasting in Vancouver, which provided us with the fantastic opportunity to taste Le Vieux Pin’s lineup for the spring release, including the inaugural release of the hotly anticipated 2008 Syrah.

With the spring release still a few weeks away, we wanted to visit the Okanagan winery and vineyard before writing this article. And what a visit it was! The winery is located in a quiet corner of the south Okanagan Valley, on an arid and serene stretch of Black Sage Road that hugs the hills on the east side of the valley that have an air of Cowboy lore movies to them. Though perhaps this bit of Hollywoodesque sentimentality had something to do with that one lonesome tumbleweed that lazily tumbled across the road on the way there, perhaps the rattlesnake warning a bit further south, or maybe even the fact that the undeveloped areas all around look like they’re right out of a Spaghetti western. The winery itself is like a temple to wine, with architecture hinting at Asian influences blending with an old-world sensibility, sitting in front of row upon row of vines. And aside from the odd passing car, it’s so peaceful and quiet, which makes it worth the trip – but it’s the wines inside that keep you coming back.

After a thorough tour of the winery, along with some comparisons of barrel samples of the same wine in barrels from different coopers, and a very intriguing taste of Syrah before barrel aging, we got down to the business of some more tasting. Previously a Pinot Noir and Merlot focused winery, Le Vieux Pin has put on the silver star and gone the way of the Rhone Rangers with its Rhone valley focused selection, with Syrah leading the way. But with summer upon us, let’s turn our heads to the whites, and come back to that bad boy later.

We started with the 2009 Petit Blanc, a blend of Chardonnary, Pinot Blanc, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and Roussanne from various vineyards in the Okanagan Valley. Dry and steely, with a soft nose of tropical fruit, it’s an easy-drinking white for occasions when there’s no need to get too serious.

The 2010 Sauvignon Blanc (287 cases), sourced from three vineyards in the south Okanagan, has a highly aromatic gooseberry, passion fruit nose. It’s soft on the palate and yet nicely acidic.

The 2009 Viognier-Roussanne (360 cases), another move towards the Rhone Valley, is an inaugural release and has made great first impressions. It is an amazing wine with waxy tropical complexity. Lemon rind and orange blossom marry beautifully with honeyed undertones. A splendid accompaniment with herb grilled chicken and roasted asparagus. And it appears we’re not the only ones enthralled by this wine as Icon Scores has given it a glowing review.

The 2010 Vaila Rose (340 cases), with its delicate pink hue, is inviting before even the first sniff. Produced from free run Pinot Noir juice and entirely steel tank aged, it has a fruity, strawberry-rhubarb nose. In the mouth it’s crisp with refreshing grapefruit. This wine screams summer in the way a distinguished lady might – with grace and style yet definitely catching your attention. One of the best roses you’ll taste this summer.

It can’t have been an easy decision at Le Vieux Pin to rip up the Pinot Noirs in favor of planting Rhone Valley varietals such as Syrah, which is rather unique in the South Okanagan. But the winery’s dedication to this varietal sure has been worth it. The 2008 Syrah (487 cases) offers up meaty smokiness and tobacco with hints of brown sugar. According to Le Vieux Pin, it is “comprised of four clones fermented with a few percent Viognier was mostly grown on the Black Sage Bench with a little fruit blended from the Golden Mile.” Having attained all this in its inaugural release, and from very young vines, we’re eagerly looking forward to tasting future generations as the vines mature.

Not only does Le Vieux Pin have a solid lineup of wines that will be very hard to find due to their limited availability, the branding is strong with the classic, faux-handwritten labels that provide a wine lover with more information than we usually get. Having the case count, name of the winemaker and other tidbits of information brings us closer to the wine we are enjoying.

It’s been a pleasure tasting the wines of Le Vieux Pin, and it’s easy to say that they are indeed Brandalicious.

We’re not into scorekeeping, so for scores on some of Le Vieux Pin’s wines, check out Icon Scores and John Schreiner’s blog.