This 2022 Viognier from Lost Oak Winery is a very nice example of the variety with lovely floral aromatics and notes of tropical fruits and honeysuckle. The wine is dry and full bodied with a slightly syrupy mouthfeel and deceptively sweet finish on the palate, probably due to the 15% ABV. Fruit for the 2021 release was sourced from Diamante Doble Vineyard in Tokio, Texas (Texas High Plains AVA).
Viognier (pronounced VEE-ohn-yay) is a thick-skinned grape variety with natural low acidity. It is thought to have originated in France (possibly the southern Rhone Valley) but was on the brink of extinction across the globe in the early 1960’s. Vigneron George Vernay (1926–2017) in the Coteau de Vernon (Condrieu region) is largely credited for reviving the variety and increasing its popularity.
Lost Oak Winery, located in Burleson Texas, was founded in 2006 by Gene and Judy Estes and is now woman-owned and operated by Gene’s step-daughter Roxanne Myers who has grown Lost Oak into one of the leading wineries in the state. Roxanne has a long and impressive list of credentials, including past president of the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association (TWGGA). Lost Oak’s winemaker Jim Evans is a legendary figure and one of the early pioneers of the Texas wine industry.