2007 Melville Viognier Estate Verna's - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (7/24/2008) Heard about this Viognier from Mike Supple at JJ Buckley. He recommended it and I rarely go against his recommendations. A great price made it a buy worth risking. 15.5% alcohol was a bit of a concern for me but my wife and I popped and poured after dinner. A very clear, medium golden straw color in the glass. A pretty powerful and well integrated nose of peach, apricot, some floral elements (orange blossom for sure with a hint of jasmine maybe?) and hints of spice. I was impressed with the nose of this wine. This was rich and medium bodied on the palate and it had a very nice level of acidity to give it some crispness. It also had just the right touch of sweet to me. In the mouth it revealed strong peach and apricot alongside some spices, pine nuts and rosemary. I also had touches of wet stones as well. This Viognier had a good solid middle of the road finish (moderate) and was fairly well balanced with a nice complexity to it. The flavors were layered nicely and this is a steal at the price I paid for it ($17.99). Highly recommend this wine. 90 pts (90 pts.)
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Here's to the corkscrew - a useful key to unlock the storehouse of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the gate of pleasant folly. ~ W.E.P. French
Posts: 129 | Location: Ohio (Now In Mid Michigan) | Registered: May 01, 2008
2007 Melville Viognier Estate Verna's - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (12/15/2008) Less floral than most Viognier, with a heavy, thick texture from the 15.5% alcohol, but has some nice balancing acidity that keeps it from being flabby. I got some fruit flavors of lemon, pear, and nectarine. This wine reminded me a little of the Beringer Alluvium blanc, but with a little more fruit and sweetness. (90 pts.)
"Wine is bottled poetry." - Robert Louis Stevenson
Originally posted by Board-O: Love it! I've had 5 or 6 bottles of it already. I believe you'll get a similar opinion from w+a.
Board-O loves it...now I KNOW I am drinking good wine! I have followed Board-O posts for a while as a lurker and to know that the words "love it" emanate from his keypad on a wine I really love...well I have truly arrived!
Visit my wine blog at http://www.pullingthecork.com
Here's to the corkscrew - a useful key to unlock the storehouse of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the gate of pleasant folly. ~ W.E.P. French
Posts: 129 | Location: Ohio (Now In Mid Michigan) | Registered: May 01, 2008
Originally posted by Altaholic: I've scoured most of my sources and can't find it anywhere. Anyone?
mghomula, did you buy it in either Ohio or Michigan? If so, where? TIA
I actually bought it from JJ Buckley (off an email recommendation from Mike Supple) and I payed $17.99 a bottle this past July. I only bought 6 of them and I really wish I would have purchased a case.
Visit my wine blog at http://www.pullingthecork.com
Here's to the corkscrew - a useful key to unlock the storehouse of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the gate of pleasant folly. ~ W.E.P. French
Posts: 129 | Location: Ohio (Now In Mid Michigan) | Registered: May 01, 2008
I've been able to come up with a source for the '06 & '07 though not in the $18 range mentioned here. I've found them for $22ish. I am going to pick up a few. For those that have had both, what vintage do you prefer? TIA
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Posts: 2044 | Location: o-HIGH-o | Registered: May 05, 2005
that's still a decent price(i believe it's winery release price).
i like the 07 better than the 06, but i am pretty sure i am alone on this statement.
quote:
Originally posted by Altaholic: I've been able to come up with a source for the '06 & '07 though not in the $18 range mentioned here. I've found them for $22ish. I am going to pick up a few. For those that have had both, what vintage do you prefer? TIA
----------------------------- "religion ='s thought disorder" - sigmund freud
Posts: 6351 | Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn | Registered: Nov 20, 2002
Originally posted by Altaholic: I've been able to come up with a source for the '06 & '07 though not in the $18 range mentioned here. I've found them for $22ish. I am going to pick up a few. For those that have had both, what vintage do you prefer? TIA
Both are excellent. Don't worry about overpaying a few dollars. The wine is worth the price. I've overpaid for wines when I figured I would otherwise miss out on them.
Just one more sip.
Posts: 25026 | Location: NY | Registered: Oct 18, 2001
I had this again today and I thought it showed marked improvement from my last tasting so I thought I would post my note from Cellartracker.
2007 Melville Viognier Estate Verna's - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (2/12/2009) Rather consistent notes from my prior tasting but this is getting better in a couple of ways. The nose this go around was more intense and revealed some additional aromas of honey and tea. I said to myself "self, this is even more aromatically complex than before and has some sauternes elements to it". On the palate, in addition to the apricot and floral elements I observed on the palate last tasting, this time I got some solid minerality, tea, melon and honey with some more hints of pine nuts and rosemary. Well constructed with a nice start, beautiful mid-palate and a longer finish (45 seconds) than my previous tasting. The finish was citrus, honey and stone with some minor touches of spice. This is really incredible for the price and an excellent example of Viognier. I would bet that, if tasted blind, this could be mistaken to be a Rhone Viognier. Really, really good juice! 50+5+14+18+8=95 (95 pts.)
Visit my wine blog at http://www.pullingthecork.com
Here's to the corkscrew - a useful key to unlock the storehouse of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the gate of pleasant folly. ~ W.E.P. French
Posts: 129 | Location: Ohio (Now In Mid Michigan) | Registered: May 01, 2008
2007 Melville Viognier Estate Verna's - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (12/13/2008) Shane Finley Comes to the OC (Casa Murray - San Juan Capistrano, CA): This wine was just the opposite of the Jemrose. Understated aromas of unripe peaches, fresh apricots, and white flowers. Full and opulent on the palate with ripe lychee fruit, lemon custard, and a touch of flint. (87 pts.)
Posts: 615 | Location: Orange County, CA | Registered: Jun 24, 2006
You won't get a 91 from me w+a Very well made viognier. Very aromatic nose with plenty of exotic fruits, peach, apricots and melon. Full body, fresh acidity which keeps everything flowing, it has a very long finish with spices (I'd guess from oak). However, just like his chardonnay, I feel a touch of heat. It is 15.5% and even though it doesn't feel like it, I think this would benefit og being slightly lower in alcohol. Nevertheless very enjoyable. 89 pts
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Posts: 1238 | Location: Chicago | Registered: Sep 05, 2006
Wow, what a nice surprise! Medium-gold, and an impressively complex nose of butter, white chocolate, and mango. A bowl of yellow fruits, and even some nuttiness and a touch of stony mineral on a long finish. Crazy good for the $. The complexity and exoticness are exemplary! A solid 94 and the best QPR I've had this year!
This message has been edited. Last edited by: stickman,
De gustibus non est disputandum.
Posts: 1593 | Location: Denver, CO | Registered: Jan 02, 2003
Originally posted by stickman: Wow, what a nice surprise! Medium-gold, and an impressively complex nose of butter, white chocolate, and mango. A bowl of yellow fruits, and even some nuttiness on a long finish. Crazy good for the $. Leaning too much on butteriness to be classic IMO, but the complexity and exoticness are exemplary! A solid 94 and the best QPR I've had this year!
I tried to tell you.
Glad to see you enjoyed it. I had to get a case shipped to g-man in New York.
Originally posted by stickman: Wow, what a nice surprise! ... A solid 94 and the best QPR I've had this year!
Glad to see someone else, Board-O and stickman, scored this nearly as close as my last TN (95). I even double checked (twice) my notes and scoring the night I gave it a 95 because I was as surprised as some others here. I think this wine really is just that good and an amazing QPR.
Visit my wine blog at http://www.pullingthecork.com
Here's to the corkscrew - a useful key to unlock the storehouse of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the gate of pleasant folly. ~ W.E.P. French
Posts: 129 | Location: Ohio (Now In Mid Michigan) | Registered: May 01, 2008
Originally posted by stickman: Wow, what a nice surprise! ... A solid 94 and the best QPR I've had this year!
Glad to see someone else, Board-O and stickman, scored this nearly as close as my last TN (95)... I think this wine really is just that good and an amazing QPR.
I certainly wouldn't begrudge you that extra point. I paid under $20 for this, and I can't imagine another wine replacing it as my top QPR for the year. Still shaking my head in amazement.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
Posts: 1593 | Location: Denver, CO | Registered: Jan 02, 2003
ratings came out, it became "ha ha!!" 
. here's a hint, buy early, next vintage. no hesitation. 
