Palate

To look at Grenache Blanc and Viognier, you might think, “what would their kid look like?” Well, these two have hatched an equal-parts lovechild as our newest generation of Epoch White. Like a good child, she represents the strengths of both her parents. Sporting all the sea-salt minerality, grapefruit, white flower, and fresh hay of Grenache Blanc, and her Viognier roots contributing ginger, rose oil, and fresh peach, the combination is fresh and bright, yet weighty and age-worthy: the perfect union.

Growing Conditions

Parentage: 63% Catapult and 37% Paderewski Vineyards

Paderewski Vineyard:

Travel just west of Paso Robles, and you will find Paderewski Vineyard: 67 acres of undulating, steep, limestone rich hillsides within 570 rural, spring-fed acres. In the early 1900’s, this vineyard was cherished and farmed by world-renowned pianist, Polish diplomat, and vintner, Ignacy Jan Paderewski. Fast forward a century, and this property stood forgotten and fallow. Lucky for us, in 2004, we became the stewards of this amazing piece of property.

Planted: 2004 Acreage: 95 under vine, 570 total Soils: limestone, calcareous, rocky pH: low to mid 8 AVA: Paso Robles District: Willow Creek Red Varietals: Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Zinfandel White Varietals: Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, and Viognier

Catapult Vineyard:

Directly in the heart of the Paso Robles’ Templeton Gap, near the acclaimed L’Aventure and Booker Vineyards, sits our Catapult Vineyard. In 2008 we came across 45 barren acres of extreme rocky soils packed with silicious shale and little limestone content. Just the type of soils we love; soils that encourage the vines to struggle while finding nourishment deep within the ground. The reward of this hardworking vine are berries packed with wicked complexity and intense flavors.

Though barely three miles from our Paderewski Vineyard, the pH level at Catapult Vineyard is in the high 5’s. A nice complement to the dirt over at “Rewski”. This pH difference, coupled with the cooler mesoclimate at Catapult allows for different flavor profiles from the fruit produced.

Planted: 2008 Acreage: 28 under vine, 45 total Soils: shale, clay, silt, rocky pH: high 5s AVA: Paso Robles District: Willow Creek Red Varietals: Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Tempranillo White Varietals: Grenache Blanc,Roussane, and Viognier

Bottling

Major: Horticulture

Graduation: Bottled February 2015 | Debut: Released Spring 2015

Winemaking

Gender: Female | Hair Color: Golden | Body Shape: Round in all the right places

Favorite Food: Triple cream brie | Hobbies: Gardening

Rearing: Fermented in two French concrete eggs, two concrete Italian tulips, stainless steel, and neutral oak barrels. Skin contact on one contributing lot of Viognier for 24 hours. No malolactic fermentation.

Aging

Aged five months Sur Lie in 42% concrete, 31% stainless steel barrels and 27% Neutral oak barrels