> Main Catalog
> 2009 Viognier

2009 Viognier
2009 ViognierThis  Estate Viognier was fermented and stored in stainless steel resulting in a wine expressing varietal flavors.  We hand picked at first light in order to get the grapes as  cold as possible into the winery.  Lood pressed the juice off the skins  right way, settling the wine clean. Fermentation was started soon after with a South African yeast isolate. Malolactic fermentation was blocked. The resulting wine is a fresh new world style. Pair this wine with crispy and hot crab cakes and a light salad.

Varieties: 80% Viognier Clone 642  20% Marsanne

Rootstock: 140R Viognier, 110R   

Soil type: San Ysidro; Zaca

Yield: 4.5 tons/acre 

TA: 0.8  g/100ml

 

Barrel Treatment: Fermented and matured in stainless steel.

Harvested: Viognier August 27th 2009 @24.5 brix

Bottled: February 19th, 2010 - 1,000 cases

Winemaker: Lood Kotzé

 
750ml     $22.00 

Detailed Wine Information
Alcohol:15.5%
Appellation:Paso Robles
Harvest Notes:We started off the growing season this vintage with a fairly mild spring. Then early on, we were hit with very hot weather for a week or so. Due to it coming so early in the season, the vines did not suffer too badly because there were very few developed berries to shrivel and leaves to wilt. During the summer we experienced a very worrisome rain, which could have led to bunch rot. Thankfully, the next few days were dry and windy so we did not experience and difficulties from this. The rest of the summer was very hot as usual here in Paso Robles and luckily our vineyard had it's fruit fully ripened when an unusual late summer/early fall frost hit us in early October. Frost kills vine leaves, leaving the vine with very little leaf are to photosynthesize and produce sugar in the berries. All twelve varietals produced an ample amount of fruit this vintage making it our highest yielding since 2005.
Release Date:March 01, 2010
Special Designation:Cass Vineyard
Vineyard Notes:The Rhone varieties in our Estate Vineyard are 100% ENTAV certified clones, planted in 2001. In total, there are 12 varieties planted on 160 acres of alluvial soils alongside the Huer Huero River. We are located southeast of Paso Robles in an area now being called the "Templeton Gap." The vineyard is at 900 feet elevation on a relatively flat terrain, surrounded by hills up to 1400 feet in elevation. This valley is known as a cold spot in the area, which is helpful in stretching out the ripening time for the fruit during harvest. The soils have good water holding capacity, which is also a big help during some of the long hot days we experience east of Paso Robles.
Year:2009