Viognier

One of my favourite holiday memories is of cycling down the banks of the Rhone from Lyon on a hot sunny day and having a leisurely lunch at an excellent restaurant in Condrieu.  The white-clothed restaurant tables sat beneath large shady trees overlooking the Rhone.  As we watched the river flow by, we had to, of course, drink Condrieu.  As a devotee of Viognier, I was in seventh heaven.

I relived this memory when I recently tasted two Viogniers from the Upper Rhone, side-by-side.

Cuilleron Viognier VDP 2023

A simple wine that displayed a surprising amount of tannic grip on the first sip.  Flavours of grape and nectarine then came through.  This was a fresh and juicy wine.  An easy, everyday drink.

Rating:  Okay           Price: AUD 45

Ogier Condrieu Les Vieilles Vignes de Jacques Vernay 2019

This wine took me straight back to Condrieu and was everything that I was expecting.  Beautifully aromatic and redolent of peach, ripe nectarine, honeycomb, honeysuckle and a touch of bitter lettuce on the nose.  These aromas carried through to the palate and were joined by orange blossom, clementine, mandarin and supported by a discrete and well-integrated background of old oak.  A beautiful round mouthfeel yet still fresh.  Would pair well with chicken or trout dishes.  A bottle came home with me.

Rating: Delish        Price: AUD 191

By the way …… I am still on the quest for a good Australian Viognier that reminds me stylistically of the Viogniers from the Rhone and southern France.