Farmed by Brent Melville and named in honor of Ron Melville’s mother, Verna’s vineyard in Los Alamos is planted to seven acres of viognier on sandy loam soil and is a combination of Alban selection and clone 1. Slightly warmer and windier then our Santa Rita Hills property, this estate has proven well-suited for growing this intriguing aromatic varietal. The fruit was gently pressed, transferred to neutral barrel, cold-fermented at 45°F for three months and bottled in April 2008. Cold fermentation and the avoidance of malo-lactic fermentation were employed to retain the wine’s liveliness and purity of varietal expression. 15.5% alcohol.
Tasting Notes:
Exotic fragrances of several white nuances such as peaches, apricots, currants, chocolate and oily flowers emanate from the glass. Aromatics also drift toward dried tropical fruits, fresh coconut, hazelnut oil and sake. The wine has excellent viscosity and verve ending with both weight and a minerally-driven vein. |
