"I review very few bottlings of Viognier for the good reason that very few of them merit mention…much less praise. The flashy, floral ones are often alcoholic and tiring to drink, with insufficient acidity, whereas the fresh ones often lack the aromatics that make Viognier worth considering in the first place. Renditions from Condrieu (in France’s northern Rhône) that dodge these two problems are almost always painfully expensive, and though that makes sense because the region is tiny and horribly difficult to farm, I still can’t see shelling out $70 for them. Which brings me to this wine--admittedly by a circuitous route--which I took because it is such a brilliant exception to the rule. It shows floral topnotes that are lovely but also subtle (which is good, because overly perfumed wines almost never invite a second glass), as well as delicious peachy fruit enlivened with excellent acidity. It seems that the secret to success in this case was two separate pickings…an early one for acidity, and a second to pick up the florals, which only emerge at full ripeness. Probably tough to find, but even harder to resist after experiencing it."
- Michael Franz, WineReviewOnline (November 2017), 93 pts
"Fruit bought from Elgin, rose-quartz soils, to try to increase production of the estate Viognier but it was so distinctive that she bottled it separately. Inoculated because of some later picked fruit which does not easily go to dryness.
"Fans of Lismore’s amazing estate Viognier - the best in South Africa - will be dismayed that there was none produced in 2015, but this is not a bad substitute, made with Elgin fruit. Floral and fresh, with subtle cream and stone fruit flavours and more acidity than many examples of the grape. 2017-19. - Tim Atkin"
"Bottled but not yet labeled, the 2017 Age of Grace Viognier is made with Elgin fruit grown on rose quartz soil. Although made oxidatively, it’s very floral in character with notes of jasmine and honeysuckle. Samantha attributes this in part to natural ferment and the partial use of polyurethane egg, which contributes an extreme florality. It’s a lovely wine with bright, dense tropical and stone fruit on a full, creamy palate and showing good minerality on the finish."
"The 2017 Age of Grace comes from purchased Viognier fruit from Elgin grown on rose quartz soil. It has a well defined bouquet of yellow plum, mirabelle, apricot blossom and subtle popcorn aromas. The palate is clean and precise with a fine line of acidity, hints of stem ginger complementing the tropical fruit (passion fruit and peach skin), and the finish is spicy and quite persistent. Excellent.- Neal Martin"
"With its cool southern exposure at the foot of the Riviersonderend Mountains, Samantha O’Keefe’s vineyard produces a quiet yet powerful viognier. It’s rich and waxy, the bright citrus-oil flavors supported by the oak structure."