Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Viognier 2 Guys 2 Barrels from the Stagecoach Vineyard is a joint project with Jeff Cohn and Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie producer Yves Gangloff. Beautiful honeysuckle, lychee and marmalade notes are followed by an unctuously textured, thick, juicy, stunning expression of Viognier that pushes concentration and intensity to the limit, but pulls back before it goes over the top. This is dry and rich, extraordinarily pure and super-impressive. If I didn’t know what the label said, I would think this was a great, great vintage of Condrieu. Drink it over the next several years.
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.
Just northeast of Napa city, Atlas Peak boasts some of Napa Valley’s highest elevation vineyards. Here the intense sunlight coupled with cool, nighttime temperatures produce grapes that are perfectly ripe, balanced and concentrated. The appellation is rich in volcanic soils and excels in the production of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.