Winemaker Notes
Alban Central Coast Viognier showcases the forward heady stone fruit of this variety. It is fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel and bottled early.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
This estate makes one of the top Viogniers out there, and the 2022 Viognier Central Coast is a great entry point for readers looking to see what all the fuss is about. While it's released under the Central Coast appellation, it’s all estate fruit from Edna Valley and has a beautiful, medium to full-bodied style as well as textbook aromatics of citrus oil, white flowers, ginger, and minty herbs. Brought up mostly in stainless steel (10% in barrels), it has beautiful acidity, terrific balance, and a great finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I tasted the 2022 Viognier Central Coast on July 8, not long after it was bottled on May 23. It has slowly unfolding scents of white peaches, honey, almonds and desiccated jasmine. The light-bodied palate features restrained, mineral-driven flavors and bright acidity that creates a shimmery sensation. A touch of textural bite on the long finish will allow it to pair with a wide range of cuisines from fresh vegetables to spicy dishes.
Full-figured and charmingly floral, Viognier is one of the most important white grapes of the northern Rhône where it is used both to produce single varietal wines and as an important blending grape. Look for great New World examples from California, Oregon, Washington and cooler parts of Australia. Somm Secret—Viognier plays a surprisingly important role in the red wines of Côte Rôtie in the northern Rhône. About 5% Viognier is typically co-fermented with the Syrah in order to stabilize the color, and as an added benefit, add a subtle perfume.
The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast California wine district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.
Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.
While the Central Coast California wine region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few Central Coast reds and whites. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.