Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2021 Viognier is absolutely gorgeous. There’s a bit more mid-palate creaminess and depth in this vintage, and that works beautifully in softening some of the edges that have been present in the past. Orchard fruit, ginger, mint, spice and apricot all grace this layered, super-expressive Viognier from Peay.
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Jeb Dunnuck
An atypical Viognier for its bright and zippy nature, the 2021 Viognier West Sonoma Coast was raised in neutral barrels and pours a bright straw hue. Fresh aromas of savory fresh herbs, kumquat, white peach, and citrus blossom are followed by a medium-bodied white that’s vibrant with energy, revealing notes of crunchy fruit and salty earth, with a great finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Estate Viognier is bright and delicate on the nose with wafts of stone fruit pit, almonds, biscuit and floral perfume. The light-bodied palate is tangy and refreshing, with a gently creamy texture and energetic finish.
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.