Maison Nicolas Perrin Viognier - 2012
An entry level white wine. We chose the Viognier variety because it is aromatic and brings great minerality. This wine offers immediate pleasure and will be perfect with aperitifs to accompany your seafood amuse-bouche.
The wine is produced from vines planted at altitude, mainly on the Coteaux d’Ardèche.
After a very dry winter and beginning of spring, Mai and June were rainy and sunny at the time, which was beneficial to the vine. On the edge of summer, we were in advance but an intense heat wave blocked the maturities. These conditions needed an exceptional effort in the vines to prevent illnesses and to get the grapes into a very satisfying sanitary state. The harvest started in middle of September. We noticed differences in the maturities depending on the areas, which led to continuing the picking until the first days of October. The yields were also quite different depending on the appellation and parcels.
Fermentation and ageing takes place in stainless steel tanks at low temperatures. The idea is to preserve the freshness and aromatics of the wine. Bottling takes place in the spring.
Colour : Pale yellow colour, with bright undertones.
Nose: Aromatic with notes of citrus fruit and white flowers.
Mouth: Quite a tense wine (the opposite to full bodied and buttery).
This wine is crisp, mineral and has a lovely final.
Drink young to 2 years. 12°C
Viognier : 100 %
This Viognier is a recent example of the ongoing collaboration between the Perrin Family, famous for their Southern Rhône Valley wines, and Nicolas Jaboulet, a specialist from the Northern Rhône. The Viognier vines are planted on relatively high slopes in the Ardèche region. The exceptionally hot weather in the early summer of 2012 is reflected in the ripe fruit flavors of the wine, which has a moderately mellifluous texture as well as hints of honey to tease the taste buds.
Margurite Thomas
Wine Review Online
, 89/100
, 2013-11-19
Light yellow-gold. Lively citrus and orchard fruits on the high-pitched nose. Tightly wound lemon and bitter pear skin flavors are light-bodied and nicely focused, with a gingery nuance adding bite. Closes with good clarity, decent persistence and lingering spiciness.
Josh Raynolds
International Wine Cellar
, 87/100
, 2014-04-01
An aromatic, pure style, with green plum, yellow apple and anise notes that bounce through a bright, unadorned finish.
James Molesworth
Wine Spectator
, 88/100
, 2014-04-01