2005 Viognier

Catie's Corner Vineyard
Russian River Valley

Like our 2004, our 2005 Viognier was produced from grapes grown on Catie's Corner Vineyard in the Russian River Valley, which is a vineyard developed by Sara Lee Kunde. Catie is Sara Lee’s daughter. The crop this year was smaller than usual (as was the 2004) producing fruit with more concentrated flavors.

Viognier (V-Own-Yeah) is an enjoyable white wine whose grapes have their origin in the Rhone Valley Appellations of Condrieu and Chateau Grillet. Viognier is also blended with Syrah in producing Cote Rotie wines. Food friendly, Viognier pairs well with fish, spicy foods, Asian infusions, crab and lobster, rice pudding or just drink it as an aperitif. Serve slightly chilled to enhance the fruit characteristics of the wine.

The 2005 Viognier has a complex nose of apricot, peach, pear, citrus and wild flowers. The mouth feel is harmoniously balanced between richness and lively acidity. The finish is marked by long-lasting flavors reflecting the fruity and floral aromas.

The grapes were whole berry pressed and then fermented in a stainless steel tank at low temperature (below 65 degrees Fahrenheit) to preserve the varietal aromas. Malolactic fermentation was not encouraged in order to retain the freshness of the fruit. The wine was aged in the tank on the fine lees to build a rich mouth feel and crisp finish.

Harvested September 2005
Released August 2006
516 cases produced

2003 Vintage

• Gold Medal—Jerry Mead's New World Wine Competition, February 2005
• Silver Medal—North of the Gate Wine Competition, April 2005
• Silver Medal—Pacific Rim International Wine Competition, March 2005

2002 Vintage

• Best of Class and Gold Medal—Press Democrat North of the Gate Wine Competition, April 2004
• Gold Medal—Sonoma County Harvest Fair, September 2003
• Silver Medal—San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, January 2004
• Silver Medal—Florida State Fair Wine Competition, February 2004
• Silver Medal—Grand Harvest Awards, February 2004

2001 Vintage

• Silver Medal—San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, February 2003
• Silver Medal—Grand Harvest Awards, February 2003
• Silver Medal—Long Beach Grand Cru, June 2003