This week’s choice, Domaine Gayda Viognier, starts with a trip to the doctor about a decade ago. I was feeling dreadful, so she checked me over. As she stuck her stethoscope onto my chest, she looked strangely excited. “Oh God, I wish I had a medical student here with me now,” she said, “you’re just a textbook case.” “A textbook case of what?” I replied, nervously. “Pneumonia!”

Every so often you taste a wine that has textbook typicity ie: the grape variety is obvious. It’s the kind of wine that you really hope to be tested with in a blind tasting exam. Viognier isn’t my first love as it can sometimes be a bit too blousy for me, but this has real focus and bags of charm.

Domaine Gayda Viognier Pays d’Oc 2019 (£10.49 at Oxford Wine Co or £10,70 at Haynes, Hanson and Clark, but just £9.50 for a case) could be Viognier’s calling card. “It’s a blend of different vineyards and different levels of ripeness,” says Vincent Chansault, its creator, explaining its complexity.

There’s beguiling orange blossom on the nose leading into ripe apricot, squidgy peach and mango, beautifully balanced by juicy lemon acidity.

Viognier is very versatile for food pairing, but I love with it a bit of spice, most especially something creamy like satay chicken or a korma.

If you’d like to know a little more about its producer, Domaine Gayda, check out my piece for The Buyer this week and be sure to track down some of Vincent’s other wines, some of which are stocked by the retailers listed above.

ARTICLE – VINOSAURUS