Perissos Viognier, a Vertical Tale

We received the product for review and all opinions are our own.

Grape crops can vary drastically from year to year both in yield and in quality as we know, so it is always exciting to have the opportunity to taste two wines of the same variety from two separate vintages to compare the similarities and differences between them. I recently had such an opportunity to do so with a few Texas Viogniers thanks to a generous friend, Brian Legrand. The difference between each wine was so drastic, I felt it was worth writing about, to share the experience with all of you.

The wines in this case are the 2012 and 2014 vintage Viognier from Perissos Vineyard and Winery. The missing 2013 Viognier is obvious, as this was the devastating year in which the crop losses were extraordinarily high due to the late spring frosts across Texas. To date, all of the 2014 Texas Viogniers I have tasted so far from reputable wineries have been very aromatic and quite good. 2012 was also a great year for Viognier, if not better in some cases. Now, let us discuss the wines at hand.

2012 Viognier

• Vineyard: 100% Estate grown, Texas Hill Country AVA, Burnet, Texas
• Production: Conventionally de-stemmed, crushed and pressed, followed by fermentation and aging in stainless steel tanks
• Sight: Light gold
• Nose: Jasmine, grapefruit, campfire smoke, ash, leather
• Palate: Grapefruit, peach, apricot, lavender, and a hint of smoke
• Acidity: Medium
• Finish: Medium plus
• Cases produced: 600
• Price at release: $28.00

2014 Viognier

• Vineyard: 100% Estate grown, Texas Hill Country AVA, Burnet, Texas
• Production: This vintage was whole cluster pressed, followed by fermentation and aging in stainless steel tanks for one year
• Sight: Straw, light gold
• Nose: Peach, honeysuckle, crushed violets
• Palate: Peach, lime, apricot, honey
• Acidity: High
• Finish: Medium
• Cases produced: 400
• Price at release: $32.00

The difference between the two wines couldn’t be more exaggerated, as they are each truly unique. The 2012 shows ashy, smoky, and leather nuances on the nose, which is quite interesting as it was not aged in oak barrels. The jasmine is also very pronounced on the nose of this wine. I personally found the acidity to be lower and the finish longer, versus the 2014. The acidity was likely perceived higher in its youth, of course. All in all, this wine is very different than most Viogniers I have had from Texas. I cannot say the “smoky” aspect is a bad thing necessarily, but it is a bit odd for a Viognier. For those of you still cellaring this wine, I find it to be holding up well and it should be going strong for another year.
The 2014 vintage is much more representative of Viognier from the Lone Star state. Note the whole cluster pressing that was done right after harvest, which adds much to the character and structure of this particular wine. The nose is powerful and pretty, while the mouthfeel is very balanced and full. I find the youthful acidity to be refreshing and crisp, although the finish is shorter than its older sister. The 2014 vintage is much more pleasing to the palate for me at least, although I did not dislike the 2012.

Bravo to Seth Martin and the crew at Perissos for producing some very fine wines, and even more, wines that have cellaring potential. Viognier is not known for longevity in the bottle, and in this case the 2012 is still showing potential and the fruit on the palate is very present, with no indication of degradation at this point. The whole cluster pressing is unconventional, but is not uncommon, and I feel it benefited the wine in the case of the 2014 Viognier.

Sip, savor, and enjoy my fellow aficionados.