Château Capion, Le Songe d’Éocène Blanc, 2016

This wine is an almost pure Viognier grown in the high-sited Les Juges parcel of Eocene-epoch limestones, blended with a tiny quantity of Roussanne. It has been bottled, but not released yet. Mid-gold in colour, the wine has elegant aromatic whispers of apricot, cream, wild grasses and hay. On the palate the fruits suggest pear and quince more than apricot, and it has surprisingly intense acidity, delicate aromatic restraint, and a clean, precise profile. Claude Gros finds a saline edge and feels that it's very typical of its limestone soils; that’s certainly a feature of Capion’s other wines. Its delicacy and freshness are impressive, but I found myself wishing that this wine - August-picked after a warm season - had just a little more richness, textured wealth and aromatic expression.