WTN: CGV Condrieu Les Vins de Vienne 2004

[Otto]

Les Vins de Vienne is a collaboration between Cuilleron, Gaillard and Villard. They resurrected the ancient area of Seyssuel on the eastern side of the Rhône. The area had been in high regard in previous centuries but had been neglected in the 20th C because of its steep vineyards.

CGV make a rather nice wines if a touch on the modern side for my tastes. But having said that, this Condrieu is rather nice! It sees 50% oak, but no new oak is used. The colour is deep as can be expected. The nose has a hint of oak, but nothing overpowering, there is also a very prominent mineral streak which I like very much, which brings balance and freshness to the floral and peachy fruit. The palate has surprisingly noticable acidity (4,5 g/l) but is still plump and sweetly fruity. The aftertaste also has the nice minerality that was so evident on the nose. Very nice indeed and not too badly modernised, either!

You see, I can appreciate some modern style wines - I don't automatically call all of them spoofulated!

[Jenise]

This sounds like a viognier that even naysayers like moi would like. But a question, you said "The colour is deep as can be expected." Why "expected"? My experience with viogniers is that they tend to be light yellow, though thinking this through, the ones I've tended to like tended to be the brighter yellow ones. Maybe we both like the more extracted styles?

[Otto]

This sounds like a viognier that even naysayers like moi would like. But a question, you said "The colour is deep as can be expected." Why "expected"? My experience with viogniers is that they tend to be light yellow, though thinking this through, the ones I've tended to like tended to be the brighter yellow ones. Maybe we both like the more extracted styles?

Point taken - I'll have to remember this about colour. I guess I tend to compare it to young Riesling and Muscadet. But Viognier is certainly deeper in colour (sun, heat....) hence I wrote deep as can be expected. I don't think it's that I like the extracted styles. Rather the only Viogniers I like are the ones with noticable (though it is never high) acidity and pungent minerality.

[Jenise]

Well, I'm no expert! Anything but. But, thinking for instance about two that I actually liked recently? Both were very minerally and very yellow, one was from British Columbia and the other from California's gold country. I'm maybe drawing too big a conclusion from the fact that I liked both and both had strong color, but it's also the case that what I remember of the perfumey, low acid ones I didn't like were that they were lighter in color. A single exception is the Miner that Bob Ross and Jim Dietz have been talking about. But all this could be coincidence and meaningless. I really drink too few to know.

But hey, I have amassed a little collection of eight viogniers and when new house guests arrive tomorrow, we're going to have a viognier tasting! I'll be paying close attention to the color.

[Bob Parsons Alberta]

Jenise don`t forget the legs for me!! Any BC wines for your taste-off?