WTN: 2005 Rosenblum Viognier 2005-a lovely blast of peach

Tried a glass of this last night at the local Winestyles, and I was quite impressed! A wonderful big blast of peach fruit, with citrus and good acidity yet lovely smooth, rich mouth feel. 14.5% alcohol or so, but it did not feel nearly as hot as some California Viogs I've tried. Frankly, I enjoyed this more than a French Condrieu a couple of months ago that was three times the price. 3 or 4*

Any opinions, overall, on Rosenblum wines? I did enjoy their 2003 Snows Lake (Lake County) Zinfandel quite a bit.

Glad to hear that there was good acidity. I haven't had any Rosenblum viognier (in fact the only CA viognier I've had was from - of course - Steve Edmunds, and he doesn't make it anymore), but full-blast peach with supporting acidity seems like a fun drink-em-fast package.

Tried another glass tonight. From the same bottle, I think. The fruit is a little less dominant, and there is more heat-a touch, still not bad. More savory and mineral notes tonight. Still quite refreshing.

I like reds with food or in formal tasting settings, but if I want a quick glass of wine by itself, I'm turning more to whites. intereseting!

What's Winestyles, Brian?

Is this the Kathy's Cuvee?? I don't find on Cellar Tracker a non-vineyard designate for 2005 Viognier?

I'd like to know (hope the bottle is still there to check the label), since the Kathy's Cuvees I've had have had a bit of RS that wasn't balanced by sufficient acidity to suit my palate.

Rosenblum is, of course, very well know for their extensive line-up of Zins... which can be quite good...

James-yes, that's the one!

We had a different reaction because, in sharp contrast to reds (which I prefer very dry and austere), I think I like a bit of RS in whites. This wine had quite a bit of that, but I liked the flavorfulness of the wine, nonetheless. I also appreciated the balance w/r/t alcohol-there are too many hot Vioniers out there (and they get big points-the Michael David Incognito, which got 91 points in Wine News, is almost undrinkable to me).

Cynthia-Winestyles is a chain of wine shops that tries to "simplify" the wine buying process by arbitrarily dividing wines into broad flavor categories "Fruity" "Crisp" "Mellow" etc. They usually carry a modest range of wines. However, the local franchisers carry some interesting wines-not always big names, but you can find good stuff there. Plus, it's three blocks away, owned by partners that include my neighbors across the street, and is a much more amenable place to hang out than the Meth-Tweeker/Biker Bar that is the other main choice!