Today we are tasting the 2008 Viognier “The Tower Series” by Horton Vineyards from Orange County, Virginia. We have previously had the 2007 Horton Vineyards Cabernet Franc. Viognier was once a rare white grape of the northern Rhone valley (Condrieu). It is now well established in Virginia. We located this bottle for under $12. One of the cool factors of this bottle besides the nice black with gold design is that the plastic cork lists both the website and the phone number. It is always good to see innovation.
Color
In the glass this wine is light golden in color and due to its age it is a bit frizzante.
Aroma
On the nose there are nice lemon and peach components. We also detect a little oak aroma though it is very mild. Overall it is less aromatic than we hoped. There are no floral characteristics showing right now. Viognier is noted for the floral nose.
Flavor
On the attack it is showing good body and the peach is making the transition from the nose. The mid-palate and finish show a lot of flavor. Mixed in with the lemon and orange is some Muscat like components. It finishes with a creamy vanilla component (probably oak). This is a interesting effort from Horton. Our guess is that it was picked slightly later in the season so it is basically a semi-dry Viognier. It pairs well with spicy dishes.
Rating
This is a interesting wine and offers some complex aromas and flavors. If you like Chardonnay, then give this a try. We rate it 86 points. As always, our palate isn’t yours, so let us know what you think of this wine.
