In 2022, a very late frost destroyed all of the crop of our favorite Damiano Vineyard in Auburn, in the Sierra Foothills. We discovered another gem of a vineyard to fill in for this vintage, in the hills of Santa Barbara County, and blended it with some gorgeous fruit from Paso Robles to obtain the same delicious flavor profile as our previous Damiano vintages. As usual, we picked it just a bit less ripe than many CA Viogniers, so the fruit expresses lively citrus and gentle white flower aromatics, while barrel fermentation in mostly older French oak barrels leads to a wine of perfect structure and creamy-crispy balance.
Winemaker Notes:
Beautiful nose of white flowers (jasmine, gardenia and honeysuckle) mingled with pretty green tea, grapefruit and orange zest aromas, only a light kiss of creamy vanilla oak toast. Super crisp acidity without being puckery tart, just pinpoint balanced with trace of sweetness and creaminess from oak. Juicy, mouth-watering Honey-crisp apple and citrus, green peach fruit. Great structure to pair with lemon-butter shrimp or Thai food or even to drink solo.
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Harvest Date:
- September 5, 2022
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Average TA/pH at Harvest:
- 3.7 pH at harvest
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Fermentation Characteristics:
- Destemmed to press and cold settled.
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Cellar Storage/Aging:
- 100% barrel fermented, stirred weekly sur lie for 5 months. No Malo-lactic fermentation, so it is crisply finished.
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Varietal:
- 84% Viognier, 11% Roussanne, 5% Marsanne
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Appellation:
- 100% Central Coast: 60% Paradise Vineyard, Santa Barbara County 40% Paso Robles. **All sustainably farmed
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Release Date:
- April 18, 2023
