ALL-IN ON BOOK REVIEWS: Do you have a (non-fictional or fictional) book related to wine, spirits, or beer that you'd like reviewed? Contact me!

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Wine Review: James Charles Winery & Vineyard 2014 Viognier

James Charles 2014 Viognier

Is Viognier the best wine with lobster? It's gotta be, right? I say it is. Some say that a buttery Chardonnay is, but you're already having butter with the lobster so why would you go with a buttery Chardonnay? Sounds redundant and stupid. Viognier. Best wine with lobster. Remember that.

It's also the pride and joy of Virginia viticulture and winemaking. From what I've read, it makes not only the best wine in Virginia but possibly the best Viognier in the country. Viognier's hometown, however, is Rhone Valley in France. It's safe to say that it's native to Rhone but there's reason to believe that it was brought there by the ancient Greeks. But whatever. It's killing it in Virginia now. They even share a first letter! It was meant to be!

James Charles 2014 Viognier is the second portion of a three-part Virginia wine series. The other ones are Bogadi Bodega & Vineyard 2014 Seyval Blanc and Veramar Vineyards 2014 Cabernet Franc. All three of those guys (James Charles, Bogadi and Veramar) are products of the Bogady family. James Charles Bogady bought his first vineyard in 1995, and in 2000 he and his wife Della founded Veramar Vineyards. Their son Justin became the winemaker in 2001. James Charles Winery & Vineyard was started by Justin in honor of his father.

Angry Dwarf - DC Universe Online
ANGRY DWARF
I'm really fighting the urge to do this review super quick and get back to the PS4. DC Universe Online has taken over my life. I used to play video games often, especially NHL and Civilization, but the last four years has required a lot of adulting. So gaming took a huge hit. Then our PS3 (which we used for video streaming and DVD/BluRay) was on its last leg so we bought the PS4. We also got Disney Infinity 3.0 with a bunch of the figures for my daughter to play. So of course, guess who had to play the game late into the night so she could have all sorts of cool stuff and have Olaf as a sidekick? That would be me. And it gave me this irresistible feeling to take a break from the wine books for a bit to be a normal human of my age group and play some games. Buuuut I really didn't want to spend money. The PS3, Disney Infinity, new brakes, rotors and calipers left me broke. So I looked for the free stuff and came across DCUO, which I didn't even know existed.

I was VERY excited to see this, having always been more of a DC guy over Marvel. I have my Marvel guys that I like, such as Spiderman and Moon Knight, but DC just appeals to me more. It's more... galactic. The stories are further-reaching into its universe and just better. I've said this many times and I'll say it again: there is no better superhero comic than when Green Lantern is done right. The problem is that it's not done right very often. But still, Green Lantern is my favorite. Of course this is all based on what I know from, like, 15+ years ago. Marvel does do things a thousand times better on the big screen, but I prefer DC when it comes to comic book form. Plus... most important of all... DC just has cooler villains than Marvel.

P1ecostomus  - DC Universe Online
P1ECOSTOMUS
So yeah. I'm hooked on a video game again. If you play DCUO and you see a little guy named Angry Dwarf with a big ass hammer (UPDATE: it's now a big ass axe), that's my hero. "Dwarf" being a combo of the mythical dwarf race and the very real dwarf star, not a knock on people with dwarfism. My villain is a big, pistol-wielding, flying dude named P1ecostomus, after your common aquarium sucker-fish. But I'm focusing on the hero play right now.

Oh... wine! You didn't come here for a video game and comic book blog. I like the label on this Viognier. Even the material used. Very nice. The white background with black and a pop of green really brings out the color of the wine, which is a light gold. The wine was made in stainless steel and has a 12.9% ABV.

I suggest you be cool and drink this Viognier just slightly chilled. That's how you're supposed to drink most whites but there are those that you must because it makes a HUGE difference. You can get away with refrigerator-cold but you'll be robbing yourself of some awesome juice. You don't want to do that, now do you? No you don't. Drink this between 50° to 55° F, please.

On the nose there's aromas of white peach, apricots, ginger and honeysuckle. With those descriptors what else could it be but Viognier? Just by the expressiveness of the nose I could tell the palate was going to be killer and it didn't let me down. It's full bodied with a mouthfeel that combines lush and oil. If this was a red we'd be calling it meaty. I didn't get minerality on the nose but dry stone is all over the palate. There's also white peach, apricots and kiwi. It finishes with apricots, citrus peel and minimum effects from acidity.

Damn! That is some intense Viognier! One of the best I've ever had! But it's almost $30 a bottle so a perfect score is hard to achieve. For that price it better be incredible. So I'm giving this a 4 out of 5 in price vs quality. It's truly a great bottle of wine and I recommend that you buy it when you see it if the price fits your wallet.

Remember. Viognier. Lobster.

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING
Price: $28
Rating: 4/5 = Recommended (what does that mean?)

The bottle used was provided free of charge for the purpose of this unpaid review. To have your wine reviewed follow this link.

Newer Posts Older Posts Home

2 comments:

  1. While indulging in the world of wines, it's intriguing to ponder whether Viognier truly reigns supreme when paired with lobster. The marriage of flavors seems enticing, but the complexity of wine choices always adds a layer of enjoyment to culinary experiences.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Chardonnay is a white wine variety with a good balance of flavor, texture, and aromatics. It is comparatively full-bodied. It's not the easiest vine to work with in the grapevine, despite having been proven that its produced beverages are frequently outstanding!

    ReplyDelete

Labels

*SPONSORED* ABriefHistoryOf Abruzzo Agiorgitiko Aglianico Airen Albarino Aleatico Alentejo Alexander Valley Alicante Bouschet Alsace Apothic Argentina Armagnac Arroyo Grande Arroyo Seco audio article Australia Austria Baco Barbera Barrossa Valley Batman Beaujolais beer Best Of biodynamic blend blog Bogati Bonarda book Bordeaux bourbon box wine Brachetto brandy Bulgaria Burgundy Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon Cahors Caino Blanco California Campania Canada Canaiolo. cans Cape Cod Captain America Carignan Cariñena Carmenere Catalonia Cava Central Coast certification Chablis Chalk Hill Champagne Chardonnay cheese Chenin Blanc Chianti Chile China cider Cinsault Clarksburg cocktails Cognac Colombard Columbia Valley comics Cotes-du-Rhone Counoise Croatia CSW Dane Cellars DC dessert wine Distill Wars Dona Blanco Douro Dry Creek Dunnigan Hills Edna Valley Falanghina February Felix Hart Fer Servadou Fiano fiction Finger Lakes Folle Blanche formulas France Franciacorta Frankovka Frappato Furmint Galicia Galilee Gamay Garganega Gascony Germany Gewurtztraminer gin Glera Godello Graciano greco di tufo Greece Grenache Grenache Blanc Grillo Gros Manseng Gruner Veltliner GSM guest blog Heroes history horror how to Hungary interview Israel Italy Japan Jerez Kansas kosher Lambrusco Languedoc-Roussillon Left Coast Leyda Valley Lisboa Livermore Lodi Loire Loureira love letter Macon Madeira Madiran Malbec Malvasia Marcillac marijuana Marlborough Marsanne Marselan Marvel Massachusetts Matchbook Mavrud Mazuelo McLaren Vale mead Melnik Mencia Mendocino Mendoza Meritage Merlot Mexico Michigan mixology Monbazillac Monstant Montecucco Montepulciano Monterey Montery Moscato Mosel Mourvédre Muscadelle Muscat mythology Napa Navarra Nebbiolo Nero d'Avola New York New Zealand news non-alcoholic nonfiction Norello Mascalese North Coast Oakville Oregon organic original meme pairings Palestine Pecorino Pedro Ximenez Perricone Petit Verdot Petite Sirah Petite Verdot photo gallery phylloxera Picpoul Piedmont Pinot Blanc Pinot Gris/Grigio Pinot Meunier Pinot Noir Pinotage Pliny podcast Port Portugal Press Release Primitivo product Prosecco Provence quickie quote rakia recipe retail problems Retsina review Rheingau Rhone Rias Baixas Ribera del Duero Riesling Rioja Rondinella rose Roussanne Rubin Rueda rum Russian River Sagrantino Sake Salta Sandanski Misket Sandeanski Misket Sangiovese Sangria santa clara Santa Lucia Higlands Sauvignon Blanc science scotch Sekt Semillon Seyval Blanc Sherry Sicily Somontano Sonoma South Africa South Australia Spain spark Sparkling Spider-Man spirits stemware storage study sulfites Superman sustainable SWE Syrah Tannat Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Temecula Tempranillo Tequila Texas thc The Flash Tinta Amarela Tinta Caiada Torrontes Touriga Nacional Traminer Trebbiano Trincadeira Turkey Tuscany Ugni Blanc Umbria USA Valdiguié Valiant Valpolicella vegan Veneto Verdejo Verdicchio Vermentino Vermont Vermouth Vernacca Vidal Blanc video Vinho Verde Viognier Virginia Viura vodka Walla Walla Washington State whiskey White zinfandel Wildstorm Willamette wine Wine Bloggers Off-Topic wine club Wine Pick Wolverine Wonder Woman Zinfandel Zweigelt