Darioush Napa Valley 2014 Viognier, $55.95-$57.95, 94 points, poured a refined light gold color drifting quickly to water clear.
Wafting aromas of pome blossoms, tangerine, and key lime were outstanding.
Light crisp body carried mouth-watering acidity with lip smooth finesse.
From snowflake to ballerina touches of tongue-dancing aroma driven flavors trailing straight toward the forever finish and declaring the curtain-call to applaud it's intense ginger, white pepper, and apricot close.
Alcohol was an amazingly balanced 14.8%.
Paired perfectly with my Maine fried clams.
Why did I describe this Viognier this way? It was such a surprise to finally find this varietal so well expressed!
I bought this treasure of a wine at Lucias Bodega.
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But the price!!!
ReplyDeleteOh, don't I know; I almost fell over, but it cost me almost that much driving to just taste it!
DeleteI wished you could have had a glass; my son couldn't believe how immaculate (I should have used this as a descriptor) it was!
Damn right VG. You ought to see the prices on the Reds. Just silly.
ReplyDeleteJohn, I wouldn't say silly; I'd rather have this one bottle of wine than ALL the rest of the Viogniers I've tasted combined! Sadly, but it's the way wine is, you have to taste a wine to know a wine, and sometimes you have to do what you have to do.
DeleteI've had many a Brunello di Montalcino that I paid more than $56 for and liked less.
Compare: Cayuse
DeleteI still think the Miner Family at $20.00 is a very good Californian interpretation of this grape.
ReplyDelete@TV: There are a lot of silly-priced wines in the Napa Valley, like Lail's 'Georgia Sauvignon blanc at $120.00, so Darioush cannot shock me.
VG: Have you tasted the Georgia Sauvignon Blanc? Not that I want to buy a bottle!
ReplyDeleteNo, too silly a price to even contemplate.
ReplyDeleteVG: Someone(s) contemplates doing just that!
DeleteNot to beat a dead horse, but do you know anyone that has tasted it, and don't you think it is far easier to taste a really good example of SB compared to Viognier?
Most people I know drink red only. Lot of folks I talk to don't generally like Viognier, too "floral".
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot more SBs out there: easy to forgive a not so good SB because it's a lighter, simpler wine. I find poor Viogniers clumsy and, 99 times out of 100, they have too little acid (read, balance). Miner Family make a second Viognier, a wild yeast version, which I really DON'T like...oaky and cloying (read, unbalanced). Just my opinion.
VG: I meet many people which drink only red (I used to be one of them), but many which only drink white, that's neither hear nor there.
DeleteI'd have to agree with your comments on Viognier; as to the simplicity of SB, I'm guessing that's why Semillon is often blended in.
Thx for taking the time to educate "us"!
Just my (elevated-acidity-loving-palate) opinion.
ReplyDeleteEvery good palate I know, likes a spike in acidity! ;-)
Delete