Winemaker Notes
Viognier is notable for its raciness. It is pure, clean, and energetic without the flamboyance and fatness that can push the variety into the cocktail wine classification. The 2017 Viognier is leaner, higher acid, non-fruit oriented Viognier. There is a real citrus quality and as it warms up in the glass, the nose reveals orange rind, lemon and lime pith, and lemon custard. It is not very floral and does not toe up to the peach and lychee cocktail fruit bowl. There is also a strong herbal quality of lemon thyme and a hint of dill. The mouth has a great attack with candied ginger and key limes shooting straight from the front to the back. There is no fat. It is crisp and finishes salty, fresh and leaves my mouth salivating. This is one of their leaner Viogniers and delicious with raw fish, seafood (oysters!), and vegetables (salads, green flavors, use as you would a Sauvignon Blanc).
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Estate Viognier has singular, very spicy aromas of green kiwi, white pepper and white peaches with touches of elderflower and ginger. The light to medium-bodied palate is bright, fresh and gently rounded through the middle, giving an open, broad impression and zeroing back in to bright, juicy fruits on the long, delicate finish. Lovely!
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 vast appellation covering Sonoma County’s Pacific coastline, the Sonoma Coast AVA runs all the way from the Mendocino County border, south to the San Pablo Bay. The region can actually be divided into two sections—the actual coastal vineyards, marked by marine soils, cool temperatures and saline ocean breezes—and the warmer, drier vineyards further inland, which are still heavily influenced by the Pacific but not quite with same intensity.
Contained within the appellation are the much smaller Fort Ross-Seaview and Petaluma Gap AVAs.
The Sonoma Coast is highly regarded for elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and, increasingly, cool-climate Syrah. The wines have high acidity, moderate alcohol, firm tannin, and balanced ripeness.