Nose
Exotic aromas of tropical flowers, apricot, quince, lychee and orange zest leap from the glass, with additional hints of clove and vanilla bean adding depth and nuance.
Palate
On the palate, flavors of Cointreau, honeydew melon and Meyer lemon are underscored by a silky, mouthcoating texture. The finish is long and satisfying with lingering notes of tropical spice.
Growing Conditions
Cold Creek’s rock and gravel soils are ideal for Viognier, as are the cooling sea breezes off the San Pablo Bay that lengthen the growing season and ensure abundant hangtime to fully ripen the grapes.
Harvest
While cool weather during owering resulted in light clusters and a smaller crop, the overall quality of the 2015 vintage was exceptional. Knowing that yields would be down, we tailored our farming to ensure that we brought out the very best in the grapes. This included methods designed to create homogenous ripening, as well as techniques that limited canopy growth, while providing ideal dappled sunlight on the fruit. A lovely temperate summer allowed the fruit to ripen slowly, while an unhurried harvest ensured that everything was picked perfectly ripe, with pristine grapes showing beautiful depth and complexity.
Winemaking
To underscore this wine’s rich texture and lush tropical fruit, it was 100% barrel fermented, and aged for eight months in neutral French oak.
