Wine of the Week: Coyote Canyon 2009 Viognier

Coyote Canyon 2009 Viognier with cheese and fruit.

My wife had a meeting last night at a local wine and cheese shop. She brought home with her the Coyote Canyon 2009 Viognier, along with a savory selection of cheeses. We added some fresh strawberries and crackers and made an evening treat for ourselves.

While my wife sliced the cheeses, I opened the wine and had the first sample. The first thing I noticed was the straw color of the wine and some bubbles, which quickly dissipated. I swirled the wine around and promptly stuck my nose in the glass, sniff, sniff, aromas of light pear, fig, honey and melon ( a whiff of petrol too I think). I was expecting some classic Viognier floral notes, but I did not detect any. Time to taste. On my first taste the wine seemed oily, heavy and tart, with an almost sweet, melon rind finish. Hmmm, I was not sure what to think of this wine, until I started to enjoy it with the cheese, crackers and strawberries.

The Coyote Canyon 2009 Viognier is a food wine, a really good food wine. The wine was transformed with food, the flavors of the wine, cheese and strawberries complimented each other so well it was like a culinary composition. My wife took the credit for the composition. Bravo!

Go find a bottle of this wine and have it with brunch this weekend. As well as it paired with our simple repast last night, I think this wine would be fantastic with a home made quiche, or a table setting of warm croissants, cream cheese, smoked salmon and your favorite fruit jam. This wine is strongly recommended.

Winery notes:
This wine is a Viognier and Rousanne blend, but the percentages are not listed. The Viognier was handpicked, pressed as whole clusters and fermented in stainless.
Residual Sugar: 0.85
Alcohol 13.9%
Cases Produced: 230
Purchase online from the winery for $18

*Mike Andrews is the co-owner and vineyard manager of Coyote Canyon Vineyard's 1100+ acres of premium wine grapes. The vineyard is celebrating its 16th year currently producing 26 original rootstock varietals. Coyote Canyon Vineyard is located in the Horse Heaven Hills that sits high above the Yakima Valley, with Prosser to the north and the Columbia River to the south. As Washington State's seventh AVA, Horse Heaven Hills covers over 570,000 acres of grass lands, wheat farms and vineyards. 2006 was the first year of winery operations.

Coyote Canyon Winery,
In the Winemaker’s Loft, Vintner’s Village
357 Port Avenue, Studio A, Prosser, WA USA 99350
509-786-7686
Website: www.coyotecanyonwinery.com

Cheers!

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