2024 Viognier

Noriega Vineyard, El Dorado

Tasting Notes

We are so excited to release our new viognier! This wine has aromas of tangerine zest, green apple, spring flowers, crème brûlée and vanilla with bright acidity and flavors of dried peach, fresh pear, and toasted marshmallow. This wine has the fresh acidity of a sauvignon blanc with the body of a chardonnay.

Winemaking Notes

Viognier tends to be slippery in the press, so this lot was first destemmed and then crushed prior to pressing in order to release ample juice and acidity into the resulting viognier juice. Once the heavy particulates were settled in tank, the juice was transferred to American Oak barrels and barrel fermented to better incorporate oak structure and nuance. After this viognier finished fermenting, the lees (expired yeast cells) were occasionally stirred while the wine barrel aged, which gives the wine a round and creamy mouthfeel.

Aging

Aged for 6 months in American oak, this viognier is ready to drink now. However, six months to a year from now the acid and oak present in this wine will be more symbiotic and integrated.

Food Pairing

This wine will pair very well with dishes that have bright, punchy flavors featuring citrus or fresh herbs. We recommend panzanella salad, spinach ravioli with lemon-garlic cream sauce, pesto pasta salad, arugula salad, and scallops with this wine. A viognier such as this, with a body close to that of a lightly oaked chardonnay, can pair well with chicken tagine with apricots and almonds served over saffron rice, or roast chicken with lemon, fennel, herbs and potatoes. We’d also love to taste this with mushroom risotto with fresh lemon thyme.

Wine Specs

100% Viognier

13% alcohol

70 cases produced