Twisted Oak 2005 Viognier

Tasting Notes:
“It’s like going into a department store, and before your can say ‘Stop!’ some perky thing in a floral print blasts you with the latest from Yves St. Ralph!” Not this Viognier! Sure, you will detect a hint of jasmine, but peach and grapefruit take center stage upstairs in the Aroma Dept. Meanwhile, in the Flavor Dept. (1st floor, just past Lingerie), you’ll taste those peaches and grapefruits along with a touch of clove spice. Perfect for your holiday, or everyday, shopping experience!

Vintage Notes
Traditionally the Foothills are considered a warm-climate region. However the 2005 vintage was a bit uncharacteristic. It started out with an early bloom but then cooler weather and rains returned, dramatically slowing down berry development and reducing yields. As the summer progressed, we had an intense heat wave in early to mid-July. But as July waned, the weather cooled back down again to very uncharacteristically low temps. High 70’s to mid 80’s in the foothills is almost unheard of. This tricked the vines, which were just then going through veraison (the technical term for the onset of berry ripening), into thinking they were in a cooler climate. The result is a completely different set of aromas and flavors taking center stage from the previous vintage. The grapes actually had more flavors of grapefruit and peaches than the more common “ warm-climate” characters of jasmine and apricot.

Winemaking Notes
Upon reaching the winery, the fruit was gently crushed. The aromatics of Viognier are housed in the skin and pulp so the fruit was pumped to the press where it soaked on the skins in order to gain some complexity. After a few hours, the fruit was pressed to remove the clear juice from the skins and seeds. After pressing, the wine was inoculated with a Rhône yeast strain and the yeast monitored throughout fermentation to ensure optimal yeast viability. After 14 days and near the end of primary fermentation, we began stirring the lees (sediment and expired yeast cells) every other week to enhance mouthfeel. It then aged a few more months in neutral French oak before being bottled.

Food Pairings
Give it the bird! Chicken, quail, turkey
Pad Thai - shrimp enchiladas
Fettucini Alfredo, with or without SPAM

Technical Notes:

Varietal:	100% Viognier
Vineyard:	70% Canterbury Vineyard, 6% Frog’s Tooth Vineyard, 4% Villa Vallecito Vineyard, 10% Sumu Kaw Vineyard, 10% Bokisch Vineyard
Alcohol:	14.1%
Titratable Acid :	0.64 g/100ml
pH:	3.46
Volatile Acid:	0.039 G/100ml
Brix at Harvest:	24.7
Aging:	6 months
Oak:	25% new French oak fermented, 25% stainless steel fermented, 50% Neutral oak fermented.