Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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The Somm Journal
Following clean aromas of white flowers, linen, and Asian pear, the salty and nutty palate delivers flavors of summer peach and nectarine jam. The long finish has a honeyed-croissant character
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Wine Enthusiast
A touch cloudy in the glass, this bottling is tightly wound on the nose, offering aromas of lemon peel, chalk, riverstone and peach blossom. There is great tension to the zippy palate, where vibrant acidity delivers both a citrus tang and more rounded flavors of lychee and apple cider.
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.
Growing on high elevation bedrock slopes, the vineyards of Paso Robles Willow Creek AVA sit at between 960 and 1,900 feet in elevation.