Zaca Mesa Viognier

Description

Winery History Our wines are made from sustainably farmed grapes that are estate grown, produced and bottled. With over 40 years of grape growing experience in the Santa Ynez Valley, our winemaking and vineyard teams meticulously farm our vineyard to focus on terroir-driven wines. We began growing Rhone varieties in 1978 when we were the first to plant Syrah in Santa Barbara County. Since then, we have learned that grape varieties planted in the Rhone Valley of France are best suited to our estate.Our Estate Purchased in 1972, our vineyard soils are composed of Chamise Loam and Chamise Shaly Loam. They are well-drained soils that developed over gravelly beds of silt, clay, shale rock and other sandy water-deposited materials. These soils are on dissected high terraces or mesas with elevations of 1500 feet above sea level. This high elevation provides cooler nights, which translates into wines retaining their natural acidity. Since 1997, the winery has replanted more than half of its original vines with highdensity plantings of Rhone varietals with new rootstock and clone combinations.Growing Season and Harvest 2013 was one of the driest years on record for Santa Barbara County. Perfect spring and early-summer conditions lead to a healthy sized crop despite the lack of rainfall. Summer had intermittent periods of very warm and moderate conditions leading to a harvest that started right on schedule. Harvest was fast and furious, challenging our winemaking team to work long days to bring in perfectly ripe fruit.Winemaking After early morning hand-harvesting, our Viognier begins fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Halfway through fermentation we transfer the wine into neutral French oak barrels 8+ years old. The wine was then aged for six months, but not allowed to go through malolactic fermentation. This short barrel aging allows the wine to build texture and mouth-feel while retaining its brightness.The Wine Viognier is a white grape variety indigenous to the Rhone Valley of France. We are so taken with this beautifully aromatic varietal that we have dedicated 18 acres of our estate vineyard to Viognier.Our Viognier has aromas of honeysuckle and ripe peaches. The palate has notes of ripe apricot, melon, lychee and a lingering touch of minerality, a signature characteristic of our vineyard. – Eric, Kristin, Agustin, Ruben, Jose, Angel, Gregorio & Ramirez, Winemaking and Vineyard team