2007 Viognier

{Columbia Valley}

Vineyard Notes

Given how popular the inaugural release of our Viognier was last year, we worked hard in the “off season” to secure more fruit in order to increase production. However, it’s very difficult to find the caliber of Viognier we expect for this wine, and while we’ve planted a few acres of Viognier in our own estate vineyards, that fruit won’t be ready for a few years. In the end, we were able to find exactly what we wanted from two vineyards that happen to be 100 miles apart – Dwelly Vineyard in Walla Walla and Denhoed Vineyard in Prosser.

These vineyards are ideally suited for Viognier and enabled us to make another stunning wine of our favorite white Rhône varietal. Both are cool climate, slower ripening vineyards that produce naturally balanced fruit with crispy acid. Generally speaking, later ripening sites tend to harvest white varietals quite a bit earlier than reds. This was not the case with these two vineyards, whereby the Viognier was picked in late October. Yet this is precisely what makes these such great Viognier sites.

Winemaking Notes

As with our Rosé, we ferment our Viognier in stainless steel tanks for five to six weeks at very cold temperatures. This enables us to carefully preserve the delicate flavor profile and bright acidity that is so crucial to the quality of this wine. We also terminated secondary (malolactic) fermentation to further aid in retaining crisp acidity. These tactics help create an austere and inviting Viognier that certainly meets our lofty expectations for this wine.

The “fruit basket” aromatics of Granny Smith apples, pears, grapefruit and honeydew melon are complimented nicely by earthy elements of minerals and wet stones. The citrus flavors are attributable to Dwelly, whereas Denhoed provides the slate and earthiness that made such a great blend. The long finish has a nutty essence to it, similar to that of spumoni ice cream. Served very cold, this wine will be a delightful summer sipper. Serving at cellar temperature (55 to 58 degrees) will bring out the complexity and depth in the wine and make for a great food pairing experience.

• Wine Profile (pdf)