Winemaker Notes
The expression of the delicious 2018 Estate Viognier is remarkable and typical of our style. The nose features pretty, high-toned, floral notes of linden and lilies, and lemon thyme herb. The aromas on the palate are consistent with the nose adding some chalk and lemongrass notes. The wine is quite direct with high acidity and real backbone and energy.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Estate Viognier is scented of white peaches, ginger, chamomile and creamy touches with a silky, medium-bodied palate that's gentle and fresh, with pleasant tanginess and an uplifted, super juicy finish. Give it another year in bottle.
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.