Jeff’s Corner

Hey, Hey, Hey; it’s Viognier Day

The new 2018 GCV Viognier is on the tasting bar and making quite a splash and turning lots of heads. Every year Jason’s Viognier becomes more and more sublime, and to me the’18 is one of his most intriguing yet.

Before we take a closer look at our new Viognier, I’d like to take a side bar to a brief (very brief) tasting I did a week or so ago for a wine writer (educator) from the Pacific NW. This person takes wine pretty seriously, trust me.

There was no comment on our Bellissimo, just a spit in the bucket, while Cabernet Trois was “flimsy”. Our 2018 Viognier, however, was “the best Texas Viognier I’ve tasted”, placing a hard emphasis on “Texas”. High praise indeed as the pecking order continues…

Anyway, enough ink wasted on this guy. As WE know, Texas has built a reputation for producing some of the best Viogniers in the world, with GCV being at the forefront of this evolution. Every vintage becomes more stylistically unique.

Our 2018 is a bright, very pale yellow with a tiny hint of chartreuse. The ABV is 12.4%.

The aromas create a delicate yet complex symphony of apricot, white peach, kiwi, and melon entwined with floral notes of lemon grass, wild honey, and Hill Country wildflowers.

Exquisitely balanced, the palate is rich in texture with a creamy mouthfeel supported by brisk acidity that contributes to a lush, lingering finish. This is a very full-bodied wine with a quiet, understated demeanor.

Between 10-15% of the entire blend was barrel aged for a bit less than 3 months. Even though this is a small percentage of the entire production, the oak contributes intricate subtleties of aroma, flavor, and texture.

Here are the notes I wrote last March for our Tank Tasting event before this wine was bottled:

“Yet another stellar Viognier from Jason and crew, classic aromas of peach, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon grass, wildflowers, and honey dominate a very complex wine that continues to develop in our glass. With a texturally rich mouthfeel, well-integrated fruit and acid yield a balanced, lingering finish.”

This stunning Viognier will support a very rich seafood dish, maybe some soft shell crabs sautéed in butter and finished with a delicate lemon-cream sauce. Let’s add some fresh asparagus for texture and color.

Cheers!