2008TheBlackChookShirazViognier

Sans Winemaker, Ben Riggs maintains that it’s easy to over do Viognier when blending it with Shiraz. The variety is highly perfumed, very tannic, naturally low in acid and often reaches high alcohols (15% or more). Balancing a blend such as this is achieved by relying on the textural aspects of Viognier, rather than on the acidity alone which is the norm in white wine making. This wine has opened up significantly since our first tasting approximately six months ago shaking off the effects of some initial bottle shock.