Wine review: Smoking Loon 2006 Viognier

Source: Flickr

Source: Flickr

Rating

Buy

Winery

Smoking Loon

Vintage

2006

Grape

Viognier

Where

California, USA

Price

$12.00

Buy at

Whole Foods

This wine is good for...
weekend fun
relaxing at home

Jon says... Buy

My old standby. Cheap (it’s only $6-$7 on the West Coast) and always drinkable. I have found this stuff replacing bad Chardonnay at cocktail parties. And it should… it’s got more flavor and style than any cheap bottle of Chard. Sure, it’s not the best example of Viognier. Like Ted notes, the right flavors are there, but they don’t last. But heck, it’s a great place to start learning about Viognier.

Give it a try. If you like it, try to get a hold of a bottle by Alban from the Central Coast.

Ted says... Well Priced

Smoking Loon is one of my favorite wineries and this time around we look at the lesser known Viognier grape. On the nose I’m getting some lighter floral notes but nothing really standing out. On the palate I can taste a bit of peach and apricot, but the finish is abrupt—did I miss something here? There is a touch of spice in the finish, which is in direct contrast to the Honey Moon which had a pleasant sweet finish.

Overall, I would compare this wine more to that of an oaked Chardonnay, the resemblance is striking. To hear what the vintners think, see their tasting notes, which is also a great marketing hoot to compare with reality. But their website is still awesome :)