Winemaker Notes
The 2023 vintage has all of the hallmark qualities of a proper Viognier...light, delicate, floral, honeyed, citrus...a stunning dry white wine. This vintage benefited greatly from the extra long hang time, yielding an intensely rich and perfumed Viognier - a real stunner!
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Not yet bottled, the 2023 Viognier has some classy (and classic) Viognier notes of juicy tangerines, peach, and apricot to go with a medium-bodied, round, supple, nicely textured style on the palate. It has plenty of texture and richness yet stays lively, pure, and nicely balanced. It's a beautiful Viognier in the making.
Tank Sample: 91-93 -
Vinous
Tasted from tank before bottling, the 2023 Viognier is intensely aromatic, textured and super-expressive. Apricot, white flowers, passion fruit and tangerine peel all race across the palate. The 2023 is hugely promising.
Tank Sample: 91-93 -
James Suckling
A sunny, fragrant wine with honeysuckle and banana aromas, followed by a smooth, creamy texture that shows honeydew melon, papayas and pineapple. Full-bodied, rather soft and mouth-filling.
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.
With a dry and mild climate cooled significantly by moist ocean fog and breezes, Santa Barbara County is a grape-grower’s dream. Part of the larger Central Coast appellation, Santa Barbara is home to Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley. The conditions here provide an opportunity for nearly effortless production of high-quality cool-climate Central Coast wines. This is also the site of the 2004 film Sideways, which caused Pinot Noir’s popularity to skyrocket and brought new acclaim to the region.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars of Santa Barbara, producing wines marked by racy acidity. Crisp Sauvignon Blanc and savory Syrah are also important. The region is home to many young and enthusiastic winemakers eager to experiment with less common varieties including Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Trousseau Gris, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, making it an exciting area to watch.