Tasting Notes:
“It’s like going into a department store, and before your can say ‘Stop!’ some perky thing in a floral print blasts you with the latest from Yves St. Ralph!” Not this Viognier! Sure, you will detect a hint of jasmine, but peach and grapefruit take center stage upstairs in the Aroma Dept. Meanwhile, in the Flavor Dept. (1st floor, just past Lingerie), you’ll taste those peaches and grapefruits along with a touch of clove spice. Perfect for your holiday, or everyday, shopping experience!
Vintage Notes
This blend of Viogniers is from 5 different vineyards. 2006 was a spectacular season. As the summer progressed, we had a short but intense heat wave in late July (110 degrees for nearly 2 weeks). As August began, the weather cooled back down again to very average temperatures of mid-to-high 80's. The result is that the grapes showed typical "warm-climate" characters of jasmine and apricot.
Winemaking Notes
The aromatics of Viognier are housed in the skin and pulp so at the winery, the fruit was de-stemmed and then pumped to the press where it soaked on the skins for an hour in order to gain some complexity. The fruit was then pressed to remove the clear juice from the skins and seeds. After pressing, the wine was inoculated with a Rhone yeast strain and the yeast monitored throughout fermentation to ensure optimal yeast viability. 50% of the juice was fermented in older French Oak barrels, 15% in newer French oak barrels and the rest fermented in a stainless steel tank. After 11 days and near the end of primary fermentation, we began stirring the lees (sediment and expired yeast cells) every other week to enhance mouthfeel. It then spent 5 additional months in neutral French oak before being bottled.
Food Pairings
Give it the bird! Chicken, quail, turkey
Pad Thai - shrimp enchiladas
Fettucini Alfredo, with or without SPAM
Technical Notes:
| Varietal: |
100% Viognier
|
| Vineyard: |
48% Canterbury Vineyard, 23% Tanner Vineyard, 9% Frog’s Tooth Vineyard, 5% Villa Vallecito Vineyard, 15% Sumu Kaw Vineyard.
|
| Alcohol: |
14.1%
|
| Titratable Acid
: |
0.58 g/100ml
|
| pH: |
3.48
|
| Volatile Acid: |
0.047 G/100ml
|
| Brix at Harvest: |
24.5
|
| Aging: |
7 months |
| Oak: |
15% new French oak fermented, 85% Neutral oak fermented.
|