2008 Long Duck Viognier

So last night we decided I decided to try another viognier to make up for the relatively weak one we had previously. I went down to Wine Squared (Denton, TX) and picked out the 2008 Long Duck Viognier. This is a french viognier and cost $12.98.

We drank the wine with dinner, which was chicken marinated in a blend of spices from Penzy's (who sells awesome spices). With the chicken we had some potatoes and a salad with a homemade dijon mustard dressing. First of all, dinner was fantastic. We finally got the propane grill cleaned and in usable condition, which was no small feat. Angela was scrubbing the grill and she looked like she had just stepped out of a swimming pool. After we got cleaned up the wine was quite refreshing.

It had a tinge of sweetness and none of the sour aftertaste of the White Knight viognier. It wasn't fruity in anyway just had enough sweet to make it taste crisp and refreshing. We served it very cold, it spent about 2 hours in the fridge before we touched it. With dinner it was fantastic. Normally, I find viogniers are too sweet to drink with dinner, but this one was perfect. I would highly recommend that people try this on a warm summer's day with something grilled. It was one of my favorite whites, and I think would please the palate of even the most discerning wine critic.

This wine received 4 grapes out of 5.

2008 White Knight Viognier*

I apologize for anyone who read this blog regularly (thanks mom). It's been a while since I posted and this has to do with the fact that I'm currently studying for my doctoral comprehensive exams. I have to pass these exams to finish my Ph.D. so the wine drinking has been kept to a minimum, but despite this I had a glass of 2008 White Knight Viognier.

I bought this bottle thinking it was warm out, and that I could use a wine with a little sweetness. It was from Clarksburg, CA and cost $11 at Whole Foods in Plano, TX (you can probably get it at your local Whole Foods). Well, I unscrewed the top (which despite my dad's belief does not mean that the wine is bad), and poured a glass for Angela and me respectively.

Well, it wasn't at all what I expected. There was almost no sweetness to it and I was disappointed. It almost had a bit of a sour flavor like the finish on a Pinot Gris/Grigio. Beyond the sourness (which I have learned means it has a high level of acid) I didn't find it to be very flavorful. I have had many viogniers, usually from Virginia, before and this one did not measure up to the others. I was disappointed by the lack of flavor. We (along with Angie Nichols) finished the bottle before dinner, which is a shame, I would've liked to have tasted it with dinner (which was tilapia that was covered in flour, pepper and lemon and then sauteed in olive oil). But alas, I didn't have a chance to try it with dinner. I don't think it would've made any difference, because in my experience flavorless wine mixed with flavorful food leads to an even more flavorless wine. Overall, this wine was subpar, and for the price, I don't think it's worth the money.

This wine receive 2 grapes out of 5.

*I couldn't find a picture of this bottle to upload, but that doesn't matter as I don't recommend you buy it.