Chrysalis Vineyards Viognier 2005, Virginia
20th September 2007
In my item on Condrieu I mentioned successful Viogniers from places other than the Rhône. I have now got round to sampling this one, from Middleburg in Virginia, and I recommend it warmly.
Its makers, Chrysalis Vineyards, have been in business for only a decade. They have all the exuberance of youth. “We are new, excited and energized,” their website tells us breathlessly, “as we combine the best of modern techniques with the traditional hand-crafted winemaking methods of the Old World.”
According to their mission statement (everyone in the US has a mission and feels obliged to state it) their aim is “to proudly restore Virginia wines to world renown, and celebrate the homecoming of Norton, The Real American Grape!”
Norton is Virginia’s native grape, and Chrysalis make several reds from it. I have yet to try any of them, but if they are in the same class as this Viognier, the mission is well on its way to accomplishment.
Despite its high alcohol content (13.6%) the Viognier is surprisingly delicate. It is pale yellow, and its nose and predominant flavours reminded me of pears. It spends some time in oak, but you would scarcely know it. The wine is nicely acidulous, though perhaps not quite crisp enough to accompany fish. It would certainly suit chicken or cold meats. According to Mrs Merry Drinker it would also go well with goat cheese or a sharp cheddar. I abhor cheese, and so cannot comment.
(I should add that this Viognier tastes nothing like Condrieu, and cannot reasonably be compared with it. But it did remind me of a strange and marvellous Italian Müller-Thürgau called Feldmarschall, which sooner or later I shall discuss here.)
The Chrysalis Vineyards Viognier costs around $30 dollars in the US. I am not sure if it is yet available in Europe. Apparently it was a great hit at a recent London wine event, so there is a good chance that it will be sold there soon.
