92 2007 Melville Estate Verna's Viognier (Santa Barbara County) 2/14/15 ($22)
15.5% alc
Color: Medium deep gold. (3.0) Bouquet: Lively acidity/minerality with beeswax, pollen and sweet/tart pear fruit. (3.5) Body: Heavyweight with excellent fruit and acidity. Rich, silky mouthfeel. Elegant for its size. (3.5) Flavor: A little heavier on the palate than the bouquet and not as distinctive, but still delicious. (3.0) Finish: A little more tart tanginess than the flavor, but still not quite equaling the bouquet. (3.0)
Overall: Approaching full maturity, the minerality is totally integrated into the pollen, beeswax and sweet/tart pear flavors. Outstanding, particularly at this price. My only minor complaint is that I had hoped it would improve with age. It has gained more mature flavors, but its overall performance has stayed the same from the time of its release. Still very impressive. (16.0)
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