Viognier

Identity

Viognier is the grape of apricot and of the reprieve. Few classic white varieties have come as close to disappearing: reduced to a handful of hectares around Condrieu by the mid-twentieth century, it owes its survival to a handful of stubborn growers, before a spectacular revival of interest from the 1980s onward had it replanted well beyond its Rhône cradle.

Low in acidity, rich in alcohol, heady as soon as it reaches full ripeness: it is a demanding variety that does not forgive an early harvest.

History and origin

Native to the northern Rhône, Viognier has no established parentage: the VIVC states explicitly that no lineage is confirmed by markers, and does not even propose a suspected parent. That is a rare situation in this corpus, where most varieties have at least one identified parent.

Its recent history is better documented than its distant origin. Reduced, after the Second World War, to a confidential acreage concentrated in Condrieu, it survived thanks to a few producers who refused to pull it up despite naturally low yields and a reputation as a difficult variety. The revival of market interest from the 1980s onward reversed the trend, to the point that it is now planted well beyond the Rhône Valley, notably in the Languedoc and California.

In the vineyard

Viognier buds on the same date as Chasselas — neither early nor late — and ripens in the second period, about two and a half weeks after it. Its vigour is medium and its natural yield low, which partly explains the high price of Condrieu: without sufficient overripeness, the variety's characteristic apricot aroma never reaches full expression.

It fears spring frost, owing to a relatively early budbreak, and coulure. It thrives on deep, acidic, moderately fertile soils, often on granite terraces in the northern Rhône, which curb its vigour while still giving it enough water reserve in a dry climate.

In the glass

The nose is explosive from the first pour: apricot, the variety's signature marker, white peach, orange blossom and a touch of violet and ginger. Citrus zest brings a welcome lift to a grape that can sometimes lack it. With age, almond and honey settle in.

On the palate, acidity is the lowest in this corpus (2 to 3), which explains a shorter ageing potential than Chenin Blanc's or Riesling's. Tannin is nil, body is full (3 to 4) and alcohol generous (3 to 5): this is a white to drink for its texture and its perfume, not for its tension.

Great terroirs

The northern Rhône is its exclusive cradle: Condrieu and Château-Grillet, the only two appellations dedicated to it entirely, and a supporting role in Côte-Rôtie, where up to 20% Viognier may be co-fermented with Syrah to help stabilise colour and add aromatic finesse. Elsewhere in France it has been widely replanted, notably in the Languedoc, where it gives riper, less taut versions than in Condrieu.

Commonly confused with

Gewurztraminer is the most tempting comparison: the same floral, spiced register, the same low acidity, the same generous alcohol. Gewurztraminer is spicier and rosier on the palate; Viognier stays centred on apricot and peach, without the lychee note that gives Gewurztraminer away.

Barrel-aged Chardonnay, at its ripest, can approach Viognier in richness and oak; but it has neither Viognier's aromatic explosiveness nor its orange-blossom perfume.