The 2010 Goats in Villages Chenin Blanc/Viognier is sourced from vineyards in the Paarl wine district northwest of Cape Town in South Africa. This seems to be a special bottling made for Trader Joe’s ($7.99) by the Goats do Roam Wine Company. There is no mention of this wine on their website or the importers website. Chenin Blanc is quickly becoming The wine of South Africa. The alcohol content is 13.5%.
The color is a very, very pale wheat yellow. The nose is peaches marinated in vodka combined with a walk through a flower garden, then add some apricot at the end. It has the consistency of light syrup, peach and pear upfront, with tangerine, lemon and orange zest. The mid palate brings a solid dose of minerality (take a bite of a peach then lick a piece of slate, to get the effect) and some pink grapefruit. There is a good dose of acidity, it is strong, yet balanced (but just barely). The finish is bright and strong and lasts a fairly long time.
The Goats in Villages Chenin Blanc/Viognier is very solid 8 buck food wine. It drinks fine on its own, but the balance and acidity will allow the Goats in Villages to shine when paired with spicy, bold food.
