A viognier from Arizona!

Aridus Wine Company Viognier 2020, Cochise County AVA, Arizona. 13.2% alc. 100% viognier grapes, aged 14 months in sandstone jars and a small amount in stainless steel. Production was 175 cases. Pale straw-gold color; notes of ripe peaches and apricots, fig leaf and thyme and honeycomb, with hints of smoke and ash, and a touch earthy and coniferous; sleek, lithe and supple, quite dry but animated; brings in heather and hay and flavors leaning more toward citrus than stone fruit; a tang of acidity and grapefruit pith that carries through the softly chalk-and-flint-like finish. Now through 2024 or ’25. Excellent. About $40.

Posted by Fredric Koeppel - Bigger Than Your Head