Winemaker Notes
The 2013 Field Blend displays golden color and resembles the flesh of a ripe green apple. Along the edges a straw colored hue bounces against the light. An intoxicating bouquet of summer flowers with ripe apricot and honey. If your nose lingers a bit longer you will pick up citrus and a blush of herbal tea. This wine feels new and different after each swallow. Just when you think you have it figured out.. it will delight you with something new. Each varietal ripened beautifully and delivered on its expectations.
Blend: 49% Grenache Blanc, 29% Viognier, 11% Piquepoul Blanc, and 11% Roussanne.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
Mitigated by mild Sacramento River Delta breezes, the Dunnigan Hills appellation is in the northwest portion of Yolo County and has a Mediterranean climate.