White wine from Sierra foothills
April 14, 2013
By Jon Bonné, Chronicle Wine Editor
“2011 Skinner El Dorado Viognier ($24, 13.9%): This ascendant winery in Fair Play shows a particular strength with a grape that can too often be steered wrong. It’s both vibrant and florid in that Viognier way – with hyacinth and dark stone aspects, plus remarkable acidity and rich nectary fruit. A brilliant example of the grape, although Skinner’s 2011 Grenache Blanc ($22, 13.7%) is a deft, sasparilla-accented example of that variety.”