Bien Nacido Viognier
This is one of the toughest wines to grow and make at our Estate. The primary reason is that Viognier is a grape which requires perfect picking time to fully realize the perfume and jasmine flowers that are balanced with tropical mango and crisp but luscious stone fruits. Picked a little too late, the alcohol overrides the florals. Picked too early, and the tropical notes which give the wine its rich mouthfeel don’t develop. Too much oak, and you overpower the delicacy of the perfume. We choose to use 3 neutral barrels and one stainless steel barrel to accomplish the winemaking. And our hope is that precision and patience in the vineyard can give us this balance of freshness and florals. This is a wine which works well with many lighter dishes and drinks well without any fanfare or decanting.Vineyard Sites
Estate: Bien Nacido VineyardAppellation: Santa Maria Valley
County: Santa Barbara
Vyd Area: 600-900 Ft. Elevation. 16 Miles From The Pacific Ocean.
Varietal
ViognierVine Age
Planted in 2008Yield
2.5 Tons Per AcreAlcohol
14.0%Cases
201Points
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Soils
Elder and Chamise shaly loams with Pleasanton sandy loam. The vineyard has a great diversity of soils containing limestone, shale, uplifted marine volcanics and loam.One of the more aromatic varieties planted at Bien Nacido. Our overall goal is to keep the balance of freshness that Santa Maria Valley can showcase, with the richness and intensity of the Viognier grape. Fermented entirely in neutral wood, the expressive star jasmine, guava, papaya, and perfume notes are preserved. We block malolactic fermentation entirely, to keep the mouthwatering acidity, and highlight the food friendliness of our Viognier. As one of the earlier bottled varieties at the Estate, this wine only ages for around 6 months before release, as opposed to the 16-18 months for the Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah.
