Viognier | VINEgeek

I picked this up while browsing at Spec’s when I saw that it had Viognier in the blend. It’s not very common for white and red grapes to be blended together – the biggest exceptions being old-school Chianti and Côte Rôtie. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Zin/Viognier blend. Let’s see what it’s like.

Producer: Renwood

Grapes: 85% Zinfandel, 11% Syrah, 4% Viognier

Appellation: Lodi

Vineyards: The Zinfandel grapes are from “middle-aged” vineyards (30+ years old)

Winemaking: Interestingly, only 15% of the blend was aged in oak, and used oak at that. There is no indication on the tech sheet as to whether the Viognier was co-fermented or blended later, though based on the color I’m assuming it was blended.

Alcohol: 13.6%

Price: I paid $10 or $11 on sale at Spec’s in Austin (I think the regular price is closer to $13-14).

My tasting notes: Fairly light in color, surely due to the dose of Viognier (a white wine, for those who aren’t familiar with the grape). It has a pretty nose. I get the floral note from the Viognier and loads of raspberries, but not in a jammy way. There is also a wet-earth quality and a bit of sweet oak as well. On the palate, it comes across as a relatively light-bodied wine, with more red fruit, slightly earthy flavors and a smooth, silky texture.

Overall assessment: A modest style of Zinfandel, which is less and less common these days. A nice quaff, if you don’t require a wine from the “These go to eleven” school of Zin. B-

Free association:

modesty

Question: Have you ever tasted or seen a Zin/Viognier blend?

More info:

Thanks to Renwood for emailing me the tech sheet which wasn’t available online.

I can’t find many reviews/tasting notes of this wine online. Wilfred Wong of BevMo gave it an 87. And there’s one review at CellarTracker. That’s all I could find.

volteo_vi-vi-sau_2008 I typically look for wines with specificity: a single grape variety, a single vineyard, etc. I like to think I can learn more that way and that I’m getting a truer essence of something or other. But I’m also a sucker for interesting blends. I imagine the best qualities of each grape marrying together into a delicious whole. I’m especially a sucker for Viognier in the blend, as I assume it will add that I-could-sniff-this-all-night floral quality to the nose. So that’s how I ended up picking this bottle up on a recent trip to the wine shop.

Before we jump to the wine itself, a quick interjection on the brand name. Volteo is the Spanish name for the sport of “equestrian vaulting.” What the heck is that, you ask? Well it’s as if some gymnasts got stoned and said “Dude, what if the pommel horse was, like … a real horse.”

Vaulting on Warmblood Horse

Now let’s take a look at this wine.

Producer: Volteo

Grapes: 50% Viura, 35% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Viognier

Appellation: Castilla-La Mancha (Vino de la Tierra, Spain). This is the largest wine region in Spain, producing half of the nation’s wine.

Vineyards: no info

Winemaking: This wine spent some time on the lees before being bottled.

Alcohol: 12.5%

Package: Screwcap. Temperature-sensitive label. Also, there is a graphic on the top of the screwcap that shows the outline of Spain and the region the producer’s wines are from. Kinda cool.

Volteo_screwcap

Price: $11

My tasting notes: It’s mostly appley and pineappley on nose with a bit of lemon pith and hay. There is a softness to the nose like a very light perfume. It’s creamier on the palate with white peach and nectarine flavors. A little citrus at the end and a medium-long finish.

Overall impression: A nicely balanced wine. It doesn’t command your attention with intensity or draw you in with complexity, but it’s an enjoyable sipper. B-

Free association:

LyceumDonQuixote

More info: Importer’s tech sheet.

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