10 Knots

Once in a while e-mail offers for wine seem magically to appear in my in-box.  On occasions I sometimes stake advantage of an e-mail and order some wine.  10 Knots Viognier is one such wine.  There was an offer made and it was a fair price and I was in the mood for something a little different.  Including shipping it was four bottles for $50.

The wine is from the 2010 vintage and carries a Paso Robles designation and is a blend that just meets the legal requirement to be labeled a Viognier.  The wine is 76% Viognier, 12% Roussanne, 9% Marsanne and 3% Grenache Blanc.  75% is needed to be labeled a varietal wine.

Light and pale in the glass the nose is a nice mix of melons, apricots and unripe pear.  I drink a fair amount of a Viognier and Roussanne blend from here in Ohio and those aromas were easy to pick out.  There is strange little smell of unripe pear when those two varieties get together and this wine has it as well.  Those same fruits showed up in the flavor, along with some blanched almonds.  Good mouth feel to the wine and a surprising acidity at the end. 

There was a pan roasted cod loin for dinner alongside a dirty rice - carrots, shallots, celery and smoked sausage and parsley added.  The cod was sweet and the wine was crisp.  Very good wine and at that price point an outstanding value.  The other three bottles are sitting in the cellar and at least one will be saved for the lobster gathering at the end of May.

14.5% alcohol and $12.50