Nose
Aromas of citrus and flowers - orange blossom, honey, spice, so nice!
Palate
The mouth-watering acidity of the first sip is quickly countered by a viscous mid-palate - a weight and balance very common to great Viogniers. Flavors of dried apricots and a whiff of white pepper are both youthful and fresh, and very complex, which makes it a very food-friendly, summer-friendly wine.
Growing Conditions
The 2014 Growing season started perfectly, with an extended dry blooming period and ideal temperatures. The year was drier than normal and much warmer than normal from April through the first few weeks of October. These perfect growing conditions led to what Tedd Wildman, manager of Stone Tree Vineyard, called shock and awe. “First the winemaker was in shock because the quantity was between 10 and 20 percent higher than cluster counts predicted, then everyone was in awe because the quality was very, very good.” Overall, this trend repeated itself through all our vineyards. The two exceptions were Les Collines and Bergevin Springs. The Cabernet Sauvignon came in on our tonnage target and the quality is spectacular. The Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon came in on target at Bergevin Springs and the vineyard is giving hints to an earthy character that is quite unique. The Merlot from Bergevin Springs came in above expected quantity but shows the dark fruit and that earthy character found elsewhere in the vineyard. The only down side to this vintage was that the workload was as intense and concentrated as the wines. Our facility was bulging at the seams.
Vinyeard: 100% Bergevin Springs
Bottling
05/23/2016
Winemaking
Handpicked grapes were pressed whole cluster, creating richer expressive fruit flavors and preserving the delicate floral flavors . Barrel fermentation, along with the use of four distinctly different yeast types create complexity, body and a huge spectrum of fruit flavors. Extended aging on the fermentation lees leads to creaminess and brings the aromas and flavors into balance. The Idea behind this wine is to create an aromatic, romantic wine with elegance using tried and true old world techniques.
Aging
Viognier aged in small neutral barrels and aged sur lie.
Appearance
A bright pale-yellow color.
Food Pairing
Pair with Crab Cakes, Lobster Eggrolls, or apricot cheesecake.
