Viognier

**Viognier** is a white grape from the northern Rhône Valley in France, long the signature of the tiny appellation Condrieu and a variety that came close to disappearing before a revival spread it far beyond its Rhône home. **In the glass** — expect a golden hue and heady aromatics of apricot, peach, honeysuckle and violet, wrapped in a full, almost oily body with soft acidity and a rich, rounded texture. **Where it grows** — its ancestral home is Condrieu and Château-Grillet in the northern Rhône, where a splash is also sometimes co-fermented with Syrah in Côte-Rôtie. It has since spread widely to the southern Rhône and Languedoc, and to warmer New World zones such as California, Australia and South America, where riper fruit can push the aromatics to exuberant heights. **At the table** — lovely with roast chicken, mild curries or apricot-glazed pork. **Cellaring** — generally best enjoyed within a few years while its perfume is fresh, though the finest Condrieu can gain complexity with modest age.

Wines

• Accent Viognier — Gatt Wines
• Amitié Blanc — Mas des Plantades
• Aristargos — David & Nadia
• Armonia — Bassac
• Bouc d'Or Blanc de Macération Viognier — Le Bouc & La Treille
• Brune & Blonde de Guigal — E. Guigal
• Chaos Blanc — Domaine Melody
• Chardonnay Viognier — Clos Perdiz
• Château Grillet — Château Grillet
• Château d'Ampuis — E. Guigal
• Cigalus — Gérard Bertrand
• Clos de Ste. Anne The Crucible — Millton Vineyard
• Condrieu — E. Guigal
• Condrieu — Maison Marigny
• Condrieu de Deponcins — Domaine François Villard
• Coteaux du Languedoc Blanc — Château de Cazeneuve
• Cynarah Blanc — Château de Cazeneuve
• Côte Rôtie — M. Chapoutier
• Côte-Rôtie — E. Guigal
• Côte-Rôtie — Maison Marigny