The Queen Viognier
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2024
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Spicy Thai curry, roasted pork loin with apricot glaze, goat cheese salad
✨ Technical Specifications
Crafted in the rugged, high-altitude terroir of the Texas High Plains, this wine celebrates Viognier's status as the undisputed 'Queen' of Texas white grapes. McPherson Cellars, founded by Kim McPherson in Lubbock, Texas, carries on the pioneering legacy of his father, Doc McPherson, who was instrumental in founding the modern Texas wine industry. In the hot, semi-arid climate of the High Plains, Viognier thrives remarkably well, yielding rich aromatics without losing its essential freshness. McPherson's approach to this grape emphasizes purity of fruit, utilizing stainless steel fermentation to preserve the delicate, exotic aromas of white peach, honeysuckle, and citrus blossom, resulting in a beautifully textured yet vibrant white wine that showcases the potential of Texas viticulture.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 2000 by winemaker Kim McPherson and opened within a converted 1930s Coca-Cola bottling plant in Lubbock's Depot District in 2008, McPherson Cellars honors the pioneering legacy of Dr. Clinton 'Doc' McPherson, a founding father of modern Texas viticulture. Sourcing fruit almost entirely from the wind-swept Texas High Plains AVA, the estate champions warm-climate cultivars uniquely adapted to the region's semi-arid, continental climate, sandy clay loam soils, and high elevations above 3,000 feet. Diurnal shifts preserve vibrant natural acidity, counteracting intense summer heat. Embracing a philosophy of planting to the land rather than mimicking Burgundian or Bordeaux archetypes, McPherson focuses predominantly on Rhône, Iberian, and Mediterranean varieties. Vinified primarily in stainless steel with judicious oak contact, benchmark white and rosé bottlings like The Queen Viognier, Reserve Roussanne, Picpoul Blanc, and Les Copains White deliver crisp minerality, balanced ripeness, and distinctive regional authenticity.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Viognier