22 July 08 - John Jens gives Cellar Exclusive Viognier 18 points

A review by John Jens has awarded the Cellar Exclusive Viognier 18 points:

Capel Vale Viognier Cellar Release 2007 from Geographe. The complete Capel Vale range of wines has been transformed in terms of both quality and appeal over the past three years.

We've recently reviewed their 2006 Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon (I 8.2pts) and the Whispering Hill Shiraz 2005 (18.4pts) as being the pick of what we've tried in recent times. The just-about-to-be-released 2007 Cellar Reserve Viognier merely confirms the transformation trends.

This wine is extraordinary. It is French-like in its dried-apricot-essence-like intensity, fragrance and length and is the most striking and therefore perhaps the most difficult to match with food of any WA Viognier to date.

Along with those opulent apricot-essence flavours and fragrances is the pungency and life of nutmeg.

The wine, while elegant and classy, is quite viscous, low-keyed, structured, and with a long, lingering, dry finish.

While not a big wine in terms of alcohol and style, this is quite rich and pairing with specific food dishes may be difficult. This was the finest and most distinctive style in our recent Viognier line-up and it was debated as to whether it was Australian or a modern, wonderfully handled, intense and long French style from the Northern Rhone.

Startling, satiating and wonderful.
18pts

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