McNab Ridge Winery

This wine is sourced entirely from the tiny McDowell Valley appellation, despite the more generic Mendocino appellation designation on the label. The high elevation of this benchland area allows for slightly cooler conditions than other inland parts of Mendocino. Rhone varietals, like this Viognier, are the staple here.

It took a second – but only that – for this wine to open up and show its true colors, which are the typically broad spectrum of Viognier’s aromatic profile: peach, apricot and honeysuckle blossom. On the palate, the wine is very melony with big body and viscous mouthfeel. The 13.9 percent alcohol does register on the palate in both a bit of sweetness and warmth. A touch of tannic grip, not unusual for the variety, lends structure. There is ample acidity, though it is somewhat masked by the sheer viscosity of the wine (from extract and alcohol). This is definitely a wine for those who like their white wines in the heavyweight category.

Viognier is noted for its split personality, this one definitely leans to the husky side, with ripe melons as opposed to powerful perfume. Overall, this is a sturdy but classy Viognier, not the billowy and blowsy style that too often is the California interpretation of the variety. Only 224 cases were produced.

Reviewed August 29, 2007 by Adam Dial.