Liquid flowers

Make way for viognier

by Thor Iverson

UNCORKED

I talk a lot about the importance of grapes and places, about how certain wines are inextricably linked to the soil from which they come. But for any given grape, there are usually a number of places that can support that mystical synergy known as terroir. For example, pinot noir makes great wine in Burgundy, but it also excels when grown in Oregon, New Zealand, and California. And sauvignon blancs from the Loire Valley, New Zealand, and Chile all have unique and worthwhile qualities.

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However, there's one grape that has, historically, resisted even the shortest journey from its homeland. The grape is viognier (pronounced vee-ohn-yay), and the place where it excels is called Condrieu (pronounced coh-dree-ooh), a tiny appellation in France's northern Rhône Valley. Most attempts to grow and vinify it elsewhere have resulted in dismal failure . . . until now.

Well-made viognier is unlike any other wine in the world. A big, fat, and succulent white wine, it requires particular growing conditions and careful winemaking to keep its acid levels up -- otherwise, the grape tends toward slothful flabbiness. In addition to a richness similar to that of warm-climate chardonnay (so rich that it can sometimes seem sweet, though it rarely is), it possesses an exotic fruit character full of honeysuckle, apricot, peach, and orange blossom. Both qualities are overshadowed by an exuberantly floral aroma that makes it hard to ignore an open bottle.

In Condrieu, a relatively microscopic amount of this intense wine is produced -- only about 250 acres are currently under vine. Viognier is a difficult grape to grow, and yields from good producers are extremely low. Together, these factors make Condrieu awfully expensive for the casual shopper ($30 is the usual entry point, and luxury cuvées can run into the triple digits). But one thing makes Condrieu worth its price: tasting viognier made anywhere else.

California winemakers, especially, have certainly tried. Buoyed by success with other traditional Rhône varieties -- syrah, grenache, mourvèdre, marsanne, and others -- California's "Rhône Rangers" (a loose collective of Rhône grape aficionados) planted a lot of little plots of viognier all over the state. After years of frustration, however, more than a few have given up. Most California viognier is a pleasant, quaffable white with a fat citrus flavor, unbalanced acidity, and a healthy dollop of oak. In other words, just like most California chardonnay. Since viognier's crankiness in the vineyard and in the winery -- especially in comparison to the easy-to-handle chardonnay -- makes it expensive to produce, it makes little economic sense for winemakers to continue to make a chardonnay taste-alike.

Other notable efforts toward making worthwhile viognier have been undertaken in Australia (with results similar to California's) and in the south of France. In the latter region, a slightly different style -- higher acid, less ripe, more floral, less fruity -- and bigger yields have resulted in some "bargain" viogniers, but most examples remain expensive.

If a wine shop has any Condrieu at all, it's probably made by the large Rhône producer Guigal, and as such is an excellent introduction to viognier. Much better, however, is Guigal's single-vineyard La Doriane (it had better be, at more than $60 a bottle). Other fairly common examples come from Cuilleron (arguably the best producer), Chapoutier, Perret, and Vernay. All are well worth the price (in the $35 to $50 range) if you're after a special bottle of white wine. But even a Condrieu that's only decent, such as Vidal-Fleury's, will be better than almost all non-Rhône versions. Experimentation with any producer not on this list is encouraged; I've left out many great wines simply because I've never seen them in the US.

In southern France, Beaujolais kingpin Georges Duboeuf makes pleasant, floral viognier that can be a fair bargain (if not exactly thrilling). As a rule, however, there are no good viogniers for less than $10; most are thin and watery due to enormous yields.

The news is that California, despite the failures, is finally starting to show some promise. Renwood, Domaine de la Terre Rouge, Arrowood, and (at times) Calera make outstanding -- if pricey -- viognier, with Terre Rouge leading the pack. Phelps and Edmund St. John are two promising Rhône Rangers that have hung in there despite mixed results, and Preston is improving. From Australia, the widely available Yalumba is no better than decent Aussie chardonnay, but this excellent producer should eventually work out the kinks. Expect to pay $15 to $35 for California viogniers, and slightly less for Australian bottles.

Wherever it's from, viognier should be consumed early. The qualities that make it unique fade quickly with age, and though older viognier is by no means bad, there's no compelling reason to choose it over other ageable whites. Sweet versions (look for vendange tardive Condrieu) have more aging potential.

Because of its fatness, intense flavor, and high alcohol, the natural tendency is to pair viognier with food that works well with big chardonnays. Yet for all its weight, viognier is also a very subtle wine, one that's easily lost in the presence of overaggressive flavors. Salmon and other fatty fish, especially in a rich sauce, are a perfect match, though with a rich enough sauce any fish will do. Pork in a creamy sauce also does well. Green vegetables simply prepared are surprisingly compatible, as are soft cheeses from Brie to Epoisses. The biggest viogniers even go with some milder forms of Indian and Thai cuisine. But sharp flavors -- grilled Cajun chicken, for instance -- can work against the seductive interplay of flavors in the wine. Good viognier is worth at least equal billing with food, and may demand the top of the marquee once it's in your glass. But isn't that what great wine is all about?

Thor Iverson can be reached at wine[a]phx.com.

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