Ampelos, Phi The Goldern Ratio Viognier, Santa Ynez Valley

While not a “sunlight” yellow, neither is this wine a pale yellow. It is certainly sufficiently yellow to grab your attention. Nose of banana (not something I want in my Viognier), pear, white peach, citrus, (tangerine?) and white pepper …and vanilla. But the wine sees no oak treatment; leaving me to wonder how it acquires a faint vanilla note. A touch bigger than prior vintages of this wine (maybe due to the vanilla note?) and with more precision. … But …

2021 vintage

The difference between the 2016 Viognier and the 2015 Viognier from Ampelos is the difference of night and day! Banana? Gone! Pineapple? Some, but reined in. The citrus leans decidedly toward orange (or is it tangerine?) with some white peach and coconut toward the finish. This is an exotic Viognier; quite new world but not fleshy or flabby. 13.9% alc. 219 cases made. With ham, molé and triple cream cow’s milk cheeses (following the far too crowded Gilick party). Recommended.

2016 vintage

Honeyed and a bit flabby, with distractingly high acidity clashing with the flavor profile.

2013 vintage

I like the crisp acidity of this. It is an easier to drink wine than many of its fruit bomb counterparts from other California wineries.

2013 vintage

Flowers, honey and lemon on the palate. Very enjoyable.

2013 vintage

Very floral with heavy honeysuckle flavors. One of my first CA viogniers. Enjoyed it. Still like those from France better, but this is a very good effort.

2013 vintage

Pale straw in color. Pears, apple, honey, lemon. Pears, lemon and honey on the palate. Lively acidity. Beautiful mouthfeel.

2013 vintage

Green apples, minerals, acidity b-

2013 vintage

Laser-focused aromas and flavors -- exemplary Central Coast Viognier. The focus makes it a bit austere, but near-perfect balance of fruit, acidity, and minerality. Stone fruit and pear give way to wet stone flavors, then a nice acidic clarity with a long, velvety finish. We enjoyed this wine very much!

2011 vintage

This is tasting better now it did six months ago with a nice dose of apricot and ginger .... but the banana still stalks the background. 13.7% alc. 241 cases made. With assorted cheeses and shrimp. 12.15.12. With spiced shrimp and assorted cheeses during the tree trimming gathering with the Smileys, Dortons, Steve Kite and Kate Saxman. Recommended with Reservations.

2011 vintage

Nice aroma. Pretty color. Some particles floating around. Wasn't as floral as I expected a Viognier to be. Seem a bit bitter like lemon citrus on taste. Maybe to do with acidity. Nice wine to sip on a late summer afternoon and enjoyed it. Also did some home blending with Syrah that was fun.

2011 vintage

Nice refreshing summer wine, drank on a hot evening with hamburgers. some peach and citrus with a nice long rhone style finish. Very enjoyable and a good QPR

2011 vintage

Ok, it’s official for me: the Ampelos Viognier program is falling away from the prior lovely wines and going down some path that just doesn’t interest me. Some white peach notes here, but nothing really interesting or compelling. But there is Banana! As I said 3 months ago, “I don’t want no stink’n banana in my viognier . . . What the heck happened here?!” 13.7% alc. 241 cases made. With pork chops with a mustard sauce. Not Recommended.

2011 vintage

The best this vintage of Ampelos Viognier has shown. Although it is still built with loads of banana notes, it shows pretty tropical notes with tangerine and pineapple. With chicken catatorri. Recommended with reservations.

2011 vintage

Nice nose of white peach, pear, a nice dry palate with stone fruit and lychee, hint of apricot. A long finish makes this a winner.

2011 vintage

2012 Sta. Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance Tasting (RN74, San Francisco, California) : Very light yellow color; floral, orange blossom, honeysuckle nose; tasty, crisp, honeysuckle, ripe pear palate; medium-plus finish

2011 vintage

Ampelos Cellars phi (the golden ratio) Viognier Santa Yenz Valley, Ca. 2011 If the 2010 vintage of Ampelos Viognier was the lightest as of its Viogniers as of that vintage, then the 2011 Viognier is lighter still to the nth degree. And if the 2010 vintage had more color than previous Ampelos Viogniers, then this is darker still, but not by much. As for the flavor, this is one of the oddest flavored Viogniers ever. Nose: Banana. Palate: Banana. I …

2011 vintage

Wine purchases have slowed to a dribble. Not intentional really. More an issue of time which has been at a premium this year. But when the spousal unit made known that she expecting a wine with compliment her shrimp and grits, I was almost at a loss to find something. My entire stock of whites is precariously low. Viognier, once dangerously too plentiful and skirting aging limits, is now depleted. Without a single Virginia Viognier to my name and no …

2010 vintage

This is a shade or two darker in color than prior Ampelos Viogniers. All stainless steel treatment allows the fruit to shine through with white peach, tangerine, ginger and a touch of minerality that makes the wine both interesting and fun. 13.8% alc. 348 cases made. With chicken salad (with cranberries), layered salad and other Opalesque dishes. With BBH. Recommended.

2010 vintage

The fruit this vintage is sourced from evergreen, cuatro vientos, (both of Los Olivos) and vigna cesarina, ampelos (both of the SRH AVA). It is 100% Viognier. The nose is a bit muted at first, but as the wine opens, it reveals white floral, orange blossom, tangerine and ginger. At times a hint of apricot seems to slip through. Taking a cue from Loring, this wine is “all about the fruit.” Accordingly, the fermentation is slow, no second fermentation occurs …

2010 vintage

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Ampelos, Phi The Goldern Ratio Viognier, Santa Ynez Valley

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