aMaurice Viognier 2010
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aMaurice Cellars, a family-owned boutique winery situated on 20 perfectly sloped acres in the Blue Mountains of Walla Walla, Washington, creates authentic, food-friendly wines. With an elevation of 1,475 feet and a south facing slope, our vineyard enjoys long summers, cool nights and an annual rainfall averaging 16-18 inches ideal conditions for growing wine grapes. Each wine is the living result of fervent dedication to sustainable viticulture and the passion and skill of expert winemaking - and the growing talents of more than 15,000 select vines. aMaurice Cellars is owned and operated by the Schafer family, fifth-generation Washingtonians.
aMaurice Cellars is dedicated to raising quality fruit through environmentally sound farming practices. Maintaining the soil and plant organisms provides nutrients necessary to grow healthy vines and grapes. More than 15,000 vines were planted in May 2006. Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot Varietals. We are charter members of Vinea — an alliance of Walla Walla wineries and vineyards that adhere to the strict guidelines of sustainable viticulture. Please visit this website for more information on sustainable viticulture.
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.
A large and geographically diverse AVA capable of producing a wide variety of wine styles, the Columbia Valley AVA is home to 99% of Washington state’s total vineyard area. A small section of the AVA even extends into northern Oregon!
Because of its size, it is necessarily divided into several distinctive sub-AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley—which are both further split into smaller, noteworthy appellations. A region this size will of course have varied microclimates, but on the whole it experiences extreme winters and long, hot, dry summers. Frost is a common risk during winter and spring. The towering Cascade mountain range creates a rain shadow, keeping the valley relatively rain-free throughout the entire year, necessitating irrigation from the Columbia River. The lack of humidity combined with sandy soils allows for vines to be grown on their own rootstock, as phylloxera is not a serious concern.
Red wines make up the majority of production in the Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety here, where it produces wines with a pleasant balance of dark fruit and herbs. Wines made from Merlot are typically supple, with sweet red fruit and sometimes a hint of chocolate or mint. Syrah tends to be savory and Old-World-leaning, with a wide range of possible fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The most planted white varieties are Chardonnay and Riesling. These range in style from citrus and green apple dominant in cooler sites, to riper, fleshier wines with stone fruit flavors coming from the warmer vineyards.