Las Perdices Syrah Viognier – A Northern Rhone Classic From The New World

Mendoza once again shows it can do a lot more than Malbec.

93% Syrah and 7% Viognier from Agrelo, Lujan de Cuyo and Barrancas, Maipu, Mendoza, Argentina.

This review is brought to you by Humboldt Imports.

The Las Perdices Syrah Viognier is available for as low as $12. Only 6,000 bottles produced. Sample submitted for review.

From the bottle:

When Don Juan Munoz Lopez arrived in this land to grow his vines, he was astonished at the large number of partridges roaming here, always in groups of three. As the days passed, these ancient local inhabitants became Don Juan’s constant companions in his long workdays. Thus he decided to name his winery “Partridge Vineyard” or “Vina Las Perdices”.

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: made from grapes from our vines located in Mendoza, at 1030 meters above sea level, in the foothills of the Andes Range.

TASTING NOTES: 93% Syrah, 7% Viognier. Ruby red color. Complex aromas of cherries and blueberries followed up by the subtle fragrance of apricot and white peach. On the palate it shows all of its potential; smooth, round, meaty and flavorful. Very good, ripe tannins, with a long and refined finish. This wine shows the characteristics typical of these two grape varieties, co-fermented to achieve synergy and give the wine complexity.

14% Alcohol

Long a staple of the Cote Rotie region in the Northern Rhone, the Syrah-Viognier blend is a unique one in the wine world in that it entails a combination of a red wine grape (Syrah) and a white wine grape (Viognier). This tasty and aromatic blend has been done well in many other areas in recent years, most notably California and Australia. You can now add Argentina to that list with today’s wine from Las Perdices, the producer of the excellent 100% Viognier we profiled a couple weeks ago.

The 2013 Las Perdices Syrah Viognier begins with a wonderful aroma of dark berry fruit from the Syrah mixed with aromatic peach and floral notes from the Viognier. You might have a hard time getting your nose out of the glass to take a sip, but when you do you’ll find a really lovely example of a Syrah-Viognier blend. Smooth, flavorful and substantial with an almost creamy texture, this is no wimpy wine. At the same time it shows good balance and even a bit of elegance, a combination that is hard to pull off. Very ripe dark berry fruit, a distinct banana note, some smoke, a little peach and some spice are just a few of the features to discover in this complex and tasty wine. It ends dry with good length and is just as good on day two. Highly Recommended!

This review is brought to you by Humboldt Imports. See a listing of local retailers selling the Las Perdices Syrah Viognier here.