New Clone of Viognier Discovered

In the early 1990s Californians were introduced two white Rhône varietals which were showing signs of great promise: Viognier and Roussanne. Viognier is grown in the steep, terraced vineyards of the northern Rhône valley; Roussanne, further down river in the region of Hermitage. Both are primarily used in France as blending grapes, but in two appellations bordering the famous Côte-Rôtie - Condrieu and Château Grillet - Viognier is released as an unblended varietal wine of great complexity and price.

Cuttings from Condrieu were planted in North Coast vineyards, San Benito and San Luis Obispo County. First efforts from Calera and Alban raised many eyebrows and were repeatedly compared to their distinguished French parents.

By the end of the decade, Viognier was everywhere in California. And it had become popular enough for the original average price of nearly $30 to be reduced by more than a third. Food and wine writers found it ideal to pair with Pacific Rim cuisine, especially Asian dishes. Roussanne, a similar wine with distinctly different viticultural distinctions, never quite caught up with its northern cousin in popularity, and remained in the province of boutique bottlings. Two of these gained a reputation for consistency and excellence: the Roussannes of Alban Vineyards in San Luis Obispo County and Zaca Mesa in Santa Barbara County. Both wineries also continued to offer Viognier.

Alban's Roussanne displays an entirely different character from their Viognier, favoring crispness over the softer complexity of their Viogniers. Likewise, at Zaca Mesa, Roussanne bears little resemblance to Viognier grown on the same property and has garnered many accolades, including Bon Appetit magazine's "Top 50 Wines from Around the Globe" and a 94 rating at the California State Fair Wine Competition.

Up until now, only one clone of Viognier was known to exist. In the case of Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and other distinguished wine grapes, clonal selection was found to be a key element in producing the finest products. In the case of Viognier, there was no such choice; that is, up to now.

Recent DNA analysis of Zaca Mesa's Roussanne conducted at UC Davis has concluded that it is, in fact, a new clone of Viognier. The winery is, as of this writing, celebrating the fact that it may be in possession of a superior new clone of Viognier and re-labeling all their Roussanne bottles. An interesting twist is that this wine, previously distinguished as one of California's finest Roussannes, will now have to defend its honor in the broader arena of California Viognier, of which there are many polished examples.

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