2020 Viognier
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The 2020 Viognier is our eleventh bottling of the Rhone's best-known white grape. The Viognier grape, known more from the northern Rhone than the area around Chateauneuf-du-Pape, shined in 2020, adding vibrant acids to its typical lush, floral, stone fruit profile.
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93 points; "Juicy and broad": Vinous (July 2022)
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94 points; "lovely salty tones alongside melon and starfruit flavors": Owen Bargreen (Apr. 2022)
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93 points; "supple and silky": Purely Domestic Wine Report (Jan. 2022)
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90 points; "zesty and citrusy, with leesy tones on the refreshing finish": Robert Parker Wine Advocate (Mar. 2022)
Tasting Notes
A nose of peaches and pineapple core, sweet green herbs and lemongrass. The palate is nicely balanced, with flavors of nectarine and mandarin, medium body, clean and precise. The finish is long and bright, delicately herby with lingering stone fruit flavors. Just how we like Viognier, with none of the cloying heaviness it can be prone to. Drink now and over the next five years.
Technical Details
Appellation
- Adelaida District Paso Robles
Technical Notes
- 12.5% Alcohol by Volume
- 693 Cases Produced
Blend
- 100% Viognier
Recipes & Pairings
Recipe Suggestions
Food Pairings
- White fishes with tropical salsa
- Spicy Asian preparations of fish or chicken
- Garlicky shellfish
- Green salads with citrus dressing
Production Notes
Our Viognier grapes were grown on our certified organic and biodynamic estate vineyard.
We use most of our Viognier in our Côtes de Tablas Blanc each year. However, in 2020, we were so pleased by our Viognier lots that we reserved a small quantity of Viognier for a single-varietal bottling
The 2020 vintage began benignly, with a cool spring that delayed budbreak to a little after normal, and continued below-average temperatures through July. Beginning in August, the weather turned hot, accelerating ripening and producing intense flavors. The state's terrible fires stayed well north of us, and the harvest finished early, under a compressed timeline but good conditions. The vintage shows concentrated flavors and a distinctive savory, spicy character.
The heat in 2020 didn't really hit until August, and the Viognier lots from that year seemed to reflect the cool June-July more than the very warm harvest season. We noted during blending the unusual vibrancy in Viognier, and love the resulting wine, which balances the grape's classic stone fruit and honey flavors with brighter-than-usual acids. The Viognier grapes were whole cluster pressed and fermented in stainless steel tanks using native yeasts, then blended and bottled in June 2021.