An off-dry, yet surprisingly salty Viognier from our friends at La Frenz…
We have long enjoyed Okanagan wines and came across this La Frenz Viognier at one of our favourite wine shops in Vancouver. We appreciated the balance of this wine, despite the relatively high alcohol rating (14.7%). At the same time, we found the saltiness surprising and, to be honest, somewhat off-putting. The petrol notes, both in the nose and the mouth, reminded us of many Rieslings from the Niagara region in Ontario.
This Viognier paired nicely with an assortment of cheeses and dark chocolate, though it did not pair as well with a chicken dish, suggesting it might be best suited as a dessert and cheese wine.
Rating (from 70 to 100): 84/100
Value: 3/5
The Bottle Details…
Name: La Frenz
Vintage: 2015
Producer: La Frenz Winery
Region/Country: Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Grape Varietal(s): Viognier
Alcohol content: 14.7%
Consumed: At home
Recommended By: Picked it off the shelf at the Firefly Fine Wines and Ales in Vancouver
Cost: $ 27 CAD
Bottle Presentation: A plain, understated label that blended in with dozens of others on the shelves.
The Tasting Details…
Appearance: Pale lemon
Nose: A medium nose, with a sweet mix of ripe honeydew melon, ripe pears, and white peaches, as well as pink bubble gum and, to our surprise, a hint of petrol.
Taste: An off-dry, medium-to-full bodied white, with medium-to-high acidity. The most prominent tastes included a salty minerality, chalkiness, and raw honey. Again, we also detected some petrol notes in the mouth.
Finish: A long finish of honey and chalk.