Viognier Archives - It Must Be Wine O'clock

A great value Viognier from Languedoc

Abbotts & Delaunay Viognier Les Fleurs Sauvages 2020 (France)

Stretching along the Mediterranean coast from Italy to Spain, the vineyards of southern France offer a huge diversity of wine styles, both red and white. Many of the wines of the Languedoc-Roussillon area of this region of France have the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) designation Pays d’Oc, as in the case of this Viognier 2020.

Though Viognier is best-known as a grape variety in the Northern Rhône, where the Condrieu wines are the celebrated appellation, there are significant plantations in Languedoc and this 2020 vintage from Abbotts & Delaunay won Silver in the International Wine Challenge (IWC) Awards in 2022. And deservedly so.

With pronounced aromas of peach, apricot, nectarine and blossom on the nose, and ripe stone fruit flavours and a hint of honey and almond on the palate, this is a fresh, lively wine with balanced acidity. An elegant wine with a creamy mouthfeel and a lengthy finish, this is perfect as an aperitif, and will go well with fish, or a vegetable dish.

Available from Majestic (£9.99, Mix Six £7.99)

A Portuguese Regional Wine with plenty of personality

Porta 6 Branco 2020 (Portugal)

Portugal has an abundance of local grape varieties which bring a note of difference to its wines. This Vinho Regional (Regional Wine) from the Lisbon area is a case in point. It is a blend of the indigenous Arinto and Viosinho grapes, together with the more international varieties, Chardonnay and Viognier.

Produced from grapes grown in vineyards close to the Atlantic Ocean, this is a fresh, fruity wine with plenty of personality. Aromas of blossom, lemon, apple and pear on the nose lead to more stone fruit flavours of peach and apricot on the palate.

Medium-bodied with lively acidity and a hint of minerality, this is fine by itself or with a seafood or pasta dish. This is a good quality wine at this price.

Available from Tesco and Sainsbury’s (£7-£7.50)

For something a little different, why not try an Australian Viognier?

Yalumba Y Series, Viognier, 2020 (Australia)

We generally associate the Viognier grape with Condrieu in the Northern Rhône region of France. It’s one of those connections that go together like a horse and carriage, much like Malbec and Cahors, or Chenin Blanc and Vouvray. But of course, the grapes are not unique to those places so perhaps it should come as no surprise to find a Viognier from Australia.

A typical Condrieu Viognier is an aromatic wine with wafts of honeysuckle that transport you to Provence, followed by stone fruit flavours of apricot and peach. Heady and rich, the wines might not be to everyone’s taste.

But this South Australian Yalumba Y is a lighter, fresher variant of Viognier which retains the stone fruit flavours but also has more citrussy flavours, too. It is also lighter on the aromatics and has more vibrant acidity.

This is a dry, medium-bodied wine with medium acidity and a lengthy finish. It has orange blossom on the nose, and apple and grapefruit as well as peach and nectarine on the palate. We had it with salmon but it will also go well with a creamy chicken dish or a tagine.

Available from Majestic, Sainsbury’s, Co-op.

An interesting blend from Lebanon – the Domaine des Tourelles Blanc 2019

If you tried and enjoyed the Lebanese red wine I recently reviewed, you might like to try this interesting white wine blend from the same winery, the Domaine des Tourelles Blanc 2019. The vineyards are in the Bekaa Valley, at an altitude of over 1,000m.

This is a blend of Viognier (65%), Chardonnay (20%), Obeidi (10%) and Muscat d’Alexandrie (5%). Obeidi (or Obaideh) is a grape variety indigenous to Lebanon and is a grape that is high in sugar and low in acidity. Known for its flavours of honey and lemon, Obeidi is traditionally used in producing Arak, a grape brandy. Viognier is an aromatic grape variety with pronounced floral aromas and stone-fruit flavours; it is particularly associated with wines of the Rhône Valley, and at its finest in Condrieu in the Northern Rhône.

The Domaine des Tourelles Blanc is a dry, medium-bodied wine with high acidity and medium alcohol. It has a distinctive golden hue and pronounced aromas of jasmine and blossom on the nose, with flavours of pineapple, peach, apricot, and a touch of spice on the palate. It’s a crisp, refreshing, well-balanced wine with a medium (+) finish.

We had it with Nasi Goreng and it matched very well. It will also go well with grilled fish or light starters.

Available from Slurp (£10.95)