Viogn-Yay! Review: Benjamin Darnault Viognier 2015

I’m not normally a big Viognier fan. There are just too many low quality offerings out there that are off balance, and often the characteristic floral notes come off as just sweet. When I do buy Viognier, it’s usually for white sangria. So when this bottle arrived in a sample pack for review, I was a little apprehensive.

Benjamin Darnault produces wine for NakedWines.com. His flagship wine, Minervois, a Grenache-based blend from the Languedoc-Roussillon region, is an Angel favorite. He also produces some stunning Rhône wines. I’ve had several of these reds, and have always been impressed, so this gave me hope that his 100% Viognier would be a winner, too. Here’s what I thought when I gave it a try:

Many of the reviews here [on the NakedWines.com website] have said this is a great wine for a hot day. Well, it’s 106F today in my neck of NorCal, so this seems to be the day to give this a go!

Clear, straw color in the glass. The aromas…oh, my…the aromas! I could smell the floral and citrus aromas from, literally, 3 feet away as I poured! Honeysuckle, elderflower, white grapefruit, and mild apricot explode on the nose. On the palate, the floral notes mingle with apricot, mango, grapefruit, and lemon. Bright acidity gives it zip, while a creaminess at the back of the tongue softens it and provides a medium-full mouthfeel. The finish goes on and on with yellow citrus flavors.

Viognier is probably the only varietal my wife enjoys more than me, and I love this one! Crisp, refreshing, and delicious, this is a great hot-weather quencher, that also goes well with a variety of foods. Yum.

4.5 out of 5 Hearts (92-94 points)

Angel Price: $10.49

If this sounds like your kind of wine, and you’d like to try this or any of the dozens of other small batch, high quality wines available from NakedWines.com, click here for a voucher worth $100 off your first order of $160 or more. You’ll be glad you did!

Cheers!