Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: Reconciling the New and Old Worlds in talking about Viognier can be difficult. While the great Condrieu wines are often in a class by themselves and the Pays d'Oc examples are pretty low-keyed, and oft times average, the 2016 Calera Central Coast Viognier seems to fit right in-between those two vastly different categories. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibits a pleasingly fragrant aroma, with a hint of attractive core fruits. Its palate presence is rich and weighty as it delivers excellent tactile pleasures. Pair its richness with moderately spicy Szechwan dishes. (Tasted: February 9, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
Full-figured and charmingly floral, Viognier is one of the most important white grapes of the northern Rhône where it is used both to produce single varietal wines and as an important blending grape. Look for great New World examples from California, Oregon, Washington and cooler parts of Australia. Somm Secret—Viognier plays a surprisingly important role in the red wines of Côte Rôtie in the northern Rhône. About 5% Viognier is typically co-fermented with the Syrah in order to stabilize the color, and as an added benefit, add a subtle perfume.
Taking advantage of the cool Pacific breezes that arrive via gaps between the Gabilan Range and the Santa Lucia Mountains, San Benito AVA is a great Central coast source for cool climate whites and Pinot noir.