Growing Conditions
Viognier is a tricky grape to grow in the vineyard. In hot sites, the grapes tend to get fully mature on the sun side of the cluster and completely under-ripe on the shade side of the cluster. In Condrieu, some producers are known to rotate the clusters to get the backside ripe. We have found that the grapes coming from Antoine Creek Vineyard have consistent ripeness throughout the cluster, most likely a product of being grown in a cooler area.
Winemaking
We fermented 75% of the wine in stainless steel to give the wine freshness and 25% in neutral wood with battonage to add texture.