The 2018 vintage proved once again what a natural site-climate-variety match our Rogue Valley vineyard site is to Viognier. The Indian Summer ripened the fruit to perfection, which made our job of turning the exceptionally uniform berries into wine both satisfying and pressure packed. When fully ripe Viognier reminds us of lemon-infused honey and we successfully delivered those aromatics and flavors to the bottle. The complexities of crushed pineapple, yellow peach, apricot pit, and orange blossom begin to show with air. This wine carries wonderfully balanced acidity with tension on the palate despite its weight and concentration, which will allow it to develop additional bottle bouquet over the next 2-4 years. Think about pairing this with a wood-fired pizza topped with grilled heirloom tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, and Auvergne blue cheese.

Production notes

Aging: 6 months sur lies in 100% stainless steel

Other notes

2018 was a textbook Rogue Valley Indian Summer vintage. The growing season saw a cool start into late Spring, but just as the vines began to bloom the weather turned slightly warmer, which resulted in even and above-average fruit set. Overall the summer was very similar to previous years, but notably free of heat spikes, which can cause uneven ripening. Summer went out with cooler than normal temperatures and we enjoyed beautiful and exceptionally dry ripening weather in September and October with 40-50 degree diurnal swings nearly every day. As the fruit reached complete physiological maturity while basking in the warmth of late season sun we began harvesting “The Winemaker’s Dream”; grapes that were absolutely bursting with ripe fruit flavors, beautiful natural acidity, and round, plump tannins. Our last fruit came in on November 9.