Pride Mountain Vineyards Viognier 2008

Our 2008 Viognier is the first release from a demanding vintage marked by a single event. With warm spring days leading to an early bud break, Mother Nature was in a generous mood as the 2008 growing season began. But on the night of April 20th, the temperature dropped into the 20's by 9:00 pm and remained there for the entire night. The resulting frost damage not only produced a very light crop, but caused the fruit set and veraison to be spread out over several weeks. Come September, the uneven ripening patterns stemming from that April night required our vineyard crew to pick the Viognier in multiple passes with just the ripe clusters being selected in each pass. The warm harvest conditions combined with the lean crop found us surveying the blocks multiple times each day in order that each pick be timed to perfection. Such intense focus led to harvested grapes of exceptional concentration, perfumey aromatics and a beautiful ripe fruit character. Upon tasting the finished wines, we knew our efforts had been rewarded!

The 2008 Viognier has an intensely heady bouquet of nectarine, lemon peel and lychee complemented by floral notes of lime blossom and honeysuckle. The mouth is supple with round, juicy flavors, soft acid and a syrupy texture that coats the mouth, leaving a spicy finish that lingers. As always, our Viognier is fermented in 2/3 neutral (5+ years old) barrels to impart texture without adding any oak flavor, while 1/3 is fermented in stainless steel to maintain the purity of this aromatic grape. Full bodied yet possessing plenty of finesse, it is the perfect accompaniment to a springtime afternoon.