The 2010 Panilonco Chardonnay Viognier (80% Chardonnay, 20% Viognier) is a Trader Joe’s ($4.99) exclusive sourced from grapes grown in the Colchagua Valley by Vinedos Errazuriz Ovalle, the largest family owned winery in Chile. The wine is aged in stainless steel vats and the alcohol content is 13.5%.
The color is a pale butter yellow. The nose is a combination of citrus and apple with honeysuckle around the edges. It starts out with mellow lemon chiffon and macintosh apple and finishes with bright, tart grapefruit, blood orange and lime. There is an odd taste of minerality on the mid palate, which leaves the finish a bit disjointed. But, overall the Panilonco has a pleasing taste.
So, there you have it, another Trader Joe’s 5 buck special. I drank it at room temperature and I think sticking the bottle in the refrigerator for 45 minutes would smooth out the mid palate. The first part of the wine was actually nuanced and interesting. Not the greatest wine in the world, but a wine worth trying.
