Viognier
Viognier is a white grape variety that is famous for its intense aromatics. Its native and spiritual home is the Northern Rhône, where its best expressions are found, particularly the Condrieu region which exclusively plants this variety.
Viognier is usually a dry full-bodied wine that is often described as “oily” with aromas of blossom, stone fruits such as peach, apricot, and nectarine, also citrus like lemon, and honey. It is often referred to as perfumed with pronounced floral aromas like blossom, jasmine and rose. This wine is usually high in alcohol but has low to medium acidity.
This grape can grow in moderate and warm climates and usually its most powerful and best expressions come from the old vines in Condrieu. These vines are low yielding- carry few grape clusters- and are grown on steep, well exposed vineyards.
As an aromatic grape variety, Viognier is usually fermented in a stainless-steel tank to preserve the purity of the grape, however sometimes old oak may be used, especially in the Condrieu region.
Viognier in Blends
Adding to its impressive reputation as a single varietal, Viognier is also a very successful blending partner where it contributes aromas, body, and alcohol to a white wine blend, generally added to Chardonnay, Marsanne and Roussanne among others.
However, the interesting fact about Viognier is that it can also be co-fermented with a red grape, particularly Syrah, in the production of this red wine. This can potentially be found in the best Syrah wines coming from Côte Rotie in Rhône, where Viognier can be added up to 20% to the blend. Viognier there is traditionally co-planted, co-harvested and co-fermented with Syrah to help stabilize the color extraction from Syrah and add extra aromas to the wine.
Besides Rhône, which has the biggest planting, Viognier can be found in other main wine regions like Provence and Languedoc in Southern France, Australia, California, South Africa, Chile, and Argentina. Viognier there is generally used in blends, and any single varietal wines are usually very aromatic and easy-drinking though less powerful than the ones in Condrieu.