2006 BIEN NACIDO CUVÉE

This wine is 50% and 50% Viognier.  The chardonnay comes from our first pick at Bien Nacido – Y Block.  Most of the viognier is from Bien Nacido, with a small percentage of viognier coming from the Vogelzang vineyard in Santa Ynez.  We pick the viognier ultra-ripe (around 25.6° brix), which on its own would be too heavy and cloying.  At that ripeness however, the viognier aromatics are amazing.  We blend it with chardonnay that was picked, in this case, at 22° brix, which reigns in the alcohol (13.5% here) and gives the wine structure and acidity.

The various lots were harvested, fermented and aged separately.  The grapes were whole cluster pressed, the juice chilled and settled overnight, fermented and aged in neutral French oak barrels for 5 month and allowed to go through malo.  2613 cases were bottled in March 2007.

This wine is pure pleasure.  I don’t think of it in terms of this vintage being better than that vintage, and I don’t age it.  Sure, I keep some in the library for fun – but the point of this wine is freshness and youthful exuberance.  If you buy a few bottles, put them right in the refrigerator – they will disappear quickly!  If you buy a case, drink it up before next spring when we release the next vintage.