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Les Dents de Lion Viognier 2016
Vin de France
Viognier is the northern Rhône’s exotic, queen bee white grape with alluring aromas and spicy fruit. Close by in the cooler, higher vineyards of the Languedoc, it also performs very well. An expressive white with a mineral edge balancing rich fruit.
Beyond the Label
Tasting notes
Ripe apricot, pear and honeysuckle with a good underlying freshness
Aroma
Forward aromas of white peach, honeydew melon and spice
Le Chai’s resident winemaker Mark Hoddy is very close to the vineyards and growers of southern France – he knows exactly where the best fruit is grown. He’s very hands on at harvest time, too, determining exactly when to pick and supervising all aspects of the winemaking. This selected Viognier uses fruit from Joseph Bousquet’s old vines, grown on fast draining soils close to Carcassonne – gorgeously concentrated grapes with excellent aromatics thanks to higher altitude vineyards and lower temperatures. The lightly pressed juice was taken to Le Chai for fermentation. Mark used special yeasts to bring out the wine’s aroma and tropical fruit, with 20% barrel aged. Go exotic and serve this white with seared scallops or spicy Thai crab cakes.
For the 2014 vintage
