Gregory Graham could hit a lot of people with an “I told you so” — that is, if he wanted to remind them of his faith in a certain troublesome grape.
Twenty years ago the Lower Lake winemaker started working with Viognier. He also joined the Viognier Guild as one of the original members.
“When I started, I thought I was in on the ground floor of the next great white wine,” he admitted.
Ah, but the varietal struggled to find a niche through the 1990s. Viognier, after all, can be a challenging grape. It temps frost damage by flowering early. It falls victim to disease. It scorns the sort of oak aging that lends character and depth to other wines. It often refuses to open up when paired with the usual foods. Its flavor profile can be difficult to predict, and so on.
And, to make matters worse, few people scanning a list of familiar Cabernet or Chardonnay labels look up at the sommelier and say “you know, I’d like to try that Viognier.” It’s just not one of the most popular names.
Yet pour a bottle from a winemaker willing to ride along with the beast and you’ll understand Graham’s conviction — and persistence.
His 2013 Viognier presents lavish aromas, rich and fruity. You catch moments of stewed pineapple, candied apricot and tropical fruits laced with clover honey. Take a sip, and the wine shows off its temperament.
For a brief moment, Graham’s Viognier coils, withholding every element you sensed on the nose. Then it strikes in full force: fresh stone fruits tumbling with baked pineapple and other dense flavors. Behind this is just enough sweetness — a compact, condensed impression, as if a cook short of sugar sought to stretch things, relying on residuals squeezed out of those stewed, candied and baked items.
“That’s one of the virtues of Viognier,” Graham explained. “It has richer textures and deeper fruit flavors.”
But they are also quite delicate. Barrel aging — particularly with new oak — can overwhelm the wine. So Graham splits the different, resting half in stainless steel and half in very old, weathered and depleted staves. This allows him to blunt any impact of the wood on his wine’s character, yet still soften the acidic tartness.
This is a wine that will entice you to ignore the better known varietals, particularly with spicy foods.
Fish or chicken, Viognier doesn’t seem to care. But pair it with something infused with chili heat and it takes notice.
“Spicy foods — that’s where this wine makes a statement,” Graham said.
His 2013 Viognier is already an award winner — vindication for all his faith in the grape. But those interested in giving the double gold wine a try will have to place orders or bide their time. Graham won’t release the vintage for a few more weeks.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
