Winemaker Notes
Ojai's Viognier comes from Roll Ranch in upper Ojai, and they make a different kind of Viognier. The grape ripens early and they harvest it at moderate sugar levels, so it's usually the first fruit that comes into the winery. They find it plenty expressive and intensely aromatic even at this ripeness—smelling this wine as it ferments in barrel is intoxicating in itself! Yet it impresses without gushing, and has a taut minerality and citrusy edge that isn't often associated with the grape.
A glass of this will strike you with aromas of fresh white stone fruits and flowers, wet rocks and lime zest, and there's a curious anise-y kind of spiciness that comes out after a year or two in bottle. On the palate it swells with texture before pulling into a focused, mouthwatering finish.
Though uncommonly bright for Viognier, it's certainly got flesh too, so they find it drinks well with rich foods like cheese plates, roasted pork and pears, or creamy Thai flavors like thom kha gai.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
A star in a varietal category in which only a handful of players succeed. The 2015 Ojai Vineyard Viognier offers a freshness and a crispness that is refreshing and pleasing. Aromatic in the nose, the wine sports light floral notes, dried peach, and crisp minerality from start to finish. Pair with linguine and clams. (Tasted: May 11, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
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.
Responsible for the vast majority of American wine production, if California were a country, it would be the world’s fourth largest wine-producing nation. The state’s diverse terrain and microclimates allow for an incredible range of red wine styles, and unlike tradition-bound Europe, experimentation is more than welcome here. California wineries range from tiny, family-owned boutiques to massive corporations, and price and production are equally varied. Plenty of inexpensive bulk wine is made in the Central Valley area, while Napa Valley is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious and expensive “cult” wines.
Each American Viticultural Area (AVA) and sub-AVA of has its own distinct personality, allowing California to produce red wine of every fashion: from bone dry to unctuously sweet, still to sparkling, light and fresh to rich and full-bodied. In the Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc dominate vineyard acreage. Sonoma County is best known for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rosé and Zinfandel. The Central Coast has carved out a niche with Rhône Blends based on Grenache and Syrah, while Mendocino has found success with cool climate varieties such as Pinot noir, Riesling and Gewürztraminer. With all the diversity that California wine has to offer, any wine lover will find something to get excited about here.