Winemaker Notes:
A very clean,
bright, aromatic viognier offering a multitude of fruits starting with some pleasant
tropical notes of pineapple, papaya and mango followed by some nice ripe stone
fruits, particularly apricot and peach. The
lemon citrus fruit combines very nicely with the other ripe fruits and brings a
nice brightness to the wine. Layered in
with all the fruits is a pleasant spiced note that helps create a lovely
perfumed floral essence. Overall, the
wine is well balanced between all the fruits and offers a lingering finish that
is both bright and smooth at the same time.
Vintage:
Starting with a mild winter we rolled into an early spring. In late March we started seeing temps in the
70’s with just a few cooler days to follow.
The spring conditions led to excellent fruit set and ultimately a
bountiful crop. The summer, for
Virginia, was very mild with only a few days of hot humid conditions. The Autumn was particularly dry with warm
days and cool nights. From mid-September to early October we experienced very
little rain which is invaluable for maturing grapes. I believe the 2019 vintage to be the best I
have experienced in Virginia for my tenure here.
Blend
100% Viognier
Harvest
The Bent Mtn. was harvested on 9th September at 21.2 brix, 3.80
pH and 5.05g/L TA. The Crozet grapes
were harvested on 2nd September at 24.1 Brix, 3.94 pH and 4.96g/L
TA. The Gordonsville grapes were
harvested on 4th September at 21.3 Brix, 4.30 pH and 5.16g/L TA.
Vineyard Source:
Amrhein Vineyards, Bent Mtn, VA – 34%
Mt. Juliet Vineyards, Crozet, VA – 33%
Horton Vineyards, Gordonsville, VA - 33%
Fermentation
The Bent Mtn. Viognier fermented for 10 days in stainless steel
with Rhone 4600 Yeast. The Crozet grapes
fermented for 31 days in stainless steel with BA11 Yeast. The Gordonsville grapes fermented for 15 days
in stainless steel with ICV OKAY Yeast
Aging
Stainless steel tanks.
Bottling Date
19 February 2020 – 856 cases
Release Date
March 2020
Technical
Information
13.1% Alc
3.51 pH
7.41g/L TA
0.035 RS (dry)
