Cable Bay Vineyards 2011 Viognier stunning!
13 December 2011
I was on tour on Waiheke Island yesterday with clients, and was fortunate enough to try the newly released 2011 Cable Bay Vineyards Waiheke Island Viognier which is the best I have tried from New Zealand. Pronounced Vee-on-Yay, it is an aromatic variety that comes from an area in Northern Rhone called Cote Rotie. It's often blended and occasionally co-fermented with Syrah to produce very elegant and deeply coloured red wines where Viognier tempers the pepper and softens the mouthfeel . But within Cote Rotie is a sub-appellation called Condrieu which was once the only region in France permitted to make varietal wine from Viognier alone. In 1965 there were only around 8 hectares in the whole of Condrieu, but now it is found in Languedoc Roussillon, Provence and several other countries around the world including New Zealand. This exceptionally aromatic off dry wine at 13.5% alcohol is in perfect balance with the delicate acidity and myriad of summer fruit flavours on the palate that this wonderful variety can sometimes bring forth. It can be very textural, sometimes silken, slightly oily and decadent. One 'give away' for good Viognier on the nose is dried apricot but on this one I also get hints of fig, sweet prune and zesty tangy mandarin marmalade. It has a lovely minerality which melds with the apricot, orange citrus and floral honey characters on the palate. It reminds me of halcion hot summer days buying stonefruit in roadside Roxborough fruit stalls where the intoxicating aromas are reminiscent of holidays, summer and food. At $36 / bottle from the cellar door on the island, I would say get a few bottles while you can, this one will sell out for sure. It's stunning! My food matches.. Foie gras or pan seared scallops followed by slow cooked corn fed roast chicken or pork belly with herb stuffing and spring vegetables..