WTN: 2007 Sobon Viognier Amador

This is a $12 bottle from Amador. Sobon uses organic grapes. It has a screw top. alc. 14.1%. I would guess higher.

The wine has little sweetness. It has a very clean viognier flavor with the characteristic minute bitterness. There is no fruity character in a typical viognier and certainly not with this wine. It is not very acid, but in great balance with the sweet element. The typical wine review includes odd aroma descriptions. So I will add one. It has a slight essence of whiskey.

Cheers

14.1%. I would guess higher.it has a slight essence of whiskey.

Sounds painful.

I did not say taste of alc. It does not taste of sweetness or alc. common to the area's overripe wines. This one is exceptional for the price. Try buying one online and tell me what you think. Not many Viognier reviews in WL. I like them because of the crispness without fruitiness. I like fruitiness in many wines but it is great to have a break in a white. Sorry for my ignorance, but I guess the CA or new world viogniers have the distinctive varietal character. Many Chards are hardly chardish.

Cheers

14.1%. I would guess higher.it has a slight essence of whiskey.

Sounds painful.

Sure agree, does not sound like any Viognier I am familiar with!!

Sorry for my ignorance, but I guess the CA or new world viogniers have the distinctive varietal character. Many Chards are hardly chardish.

Cheers

Not sure what you are getting at here. Do you mean that CA or new world viogniers are distinctly whiskey-ish in their flavor profile?

I am not sure what you mean by 'whisky' if you are not referring to sweetness or alcohol. Maybe smoke? For me, I love the floral minerality of viognier, which has nothing to do with most whisky that I'm familiar with. Even the more delicate kinds. The alcohol kick is just so different.

It is just one of those inane wine descriptors. I know what you mean by floral, but many are not floral. When you take the floral away you have a slight minerality and bitterness that I like. It is the bitterness that I would decribe as whiskeyish. Take away the alc. taste of whiskey then what do you have? Not nothing. Had a washington state viognier that was real thin and acidic which was more Euroish. I loved it but could not find where I wrote the name down.

The local viogniers can be too ripe. Sobon has the combined benefits of being organic, inexpensive and have a good balance with sweetness and acid IMHO. Not too ripe. It is very viognierish but not real floral.

Cheers