For a long time now, Clos du Soleil has been one of my favourite wineries in British Columbia. Conscientious farming, with the organic certification to prove it, combined with the thoughtful winemaking of Michael Clark yields transparent, mineral-driven wines that uniquely express the Similkameen Valley. The wines are elegant, restrained, and age-worthy – and the winery consistently hosts vertical tastings to prove it.
The focus at Clos du Soleil began with Bordeaux varieties. It doesn't get much better than Cappella, their Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blend, and Signature, their flagship Bordeaux red blend. But they've increasingly expanded their focus to include Rhône varieties. Their Syrah has been a showstopper since the first vintage back in 2016. For the last few years, they've added a Viognier for wine club members. Luckily, we were able to snag some for the Naramata General Store club, too
Tasting Note
It doesn’t take much for Viognier to be too much. But when it’s done well, there’s nothing quite like it. This strikes the perfect balance: bright, crisp, and packed with freshly picked stone fruits. It comes from La Côte Vineyard on the Similkameen's Upper Bench, a vineyard which is now certified organic. The fruit was whole cluster pressed, then fermented and aged in neutral French puncheons, which just provide a faint accent to the wine. You'll find a lively, youthful viognier, bottled after six months on its lees, that shows juicy apricot and appealing floral aromatics. It's backed by crisp acidity that leaves you wanting more, and wondering why there can't be more viognier made in this style.
Food Pairing
Seared halibut with lemon beurre blanc or linguine with clams and white wine sauce