Sandhill Viognier 2008

Sandhill is probably my favourite Canadian winery, and we get an excellent selection of their products here, so I always look forward to the new release.

This Viognier is one of the recent arrivals.  I haven’t had much in the way of varietal Viognier myself, but from what I understand, this effort from Sandhill is not very typical.  Viognier is usually described as floral and aromatic, and is often added to Shiraz to boost the nose, but the nose on the Sandhill Viognier was quite subdued.  It has a viscous palate, with a distinct ‘petrol’ flavor that I always associate with Riesling.  I didn’t taste it blind, but if I had, I’m sure I would have picked it for a young Riesling.  Apart from whether it is typical Viognier, in its own right it is solid but not spectacular.  At the price – $26.48 – I would give it 3+/5 for value;  I’m not disappointed, but I won’t rush out for more.

Kelly tasted it blind - here are her notes:

White –91 – nose of mostly spicy citrus and minerals, also a bit floral; viscous on palate, ending a bit sharp.  Very nice.  A manly style of white, but not an extreme example.  Has good “oomph.”  Guessed pretty much every grape under the sun.  Basically, I was generalizing from my experience with reds mixed with Viognier – where the Viognier seems mostly to contribute floral aromas – and didn’t find it all that floral.  Also, I’ve never had a Viognier that was citrusy like this.  Mostly they’ve been floral with a bit of minerals, and sort of sharp.  Riesling or Gewurz were my first guesses.