Winemaker Notes
The 2024 Viognier captivates with its intricate dance of beautiful aromatics. A rich foundation of stone fruit is draped with pretty honeysuckle and accented by a bright clear note of grapefruit zest, a highlight usually present in Pride Mountain's Viognier. In the mouth, these elements merge into a lovely expression of tangerine blossom, nectarine and enticing minerality. What makes the entire experience so compelling is the pleasant round texture that transitions into a long, vibrant, refreshing finish. Like all Viognier, this wine is ephemeral and is best enjoyed young.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This excellent wine shows great varietal expression with a lovely perfume. Aromas of apricots, lemon confit, rose petals and jasmine. The palate is silky and textural with a waxy feel, cut through with finely balanced acidity and a slight phenolic grip, bringing more dimension to the tactile finish. This is a fine viognier. Drink or hold.
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Vinous
The 2024 Viognier is another gorgeous white from Pride. Varietal notes are front and center. Apricot, ginger, mint, white flowers and lime are all beautifully delineated in the glass. Soft, creamy contours wrap it all together. This stylish Viognier is so attractive.
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.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.