cropthreash


Handmade wines since 1983.

 

 

 

2009 VIOGNIER ROLL RANCH (dry)
Ojai Valley, California

One person that I met recently who shares my view that heavy and overripe wines are overrated is Cristiano Garella of the winery Tenuta Sella in Italy. He is a young man with a clear vision of what he likes. We tasted through my wines here in the cellar, and it was fascinating to see how he reacted to them. He was not the least bit impressed by fat or fruit, but was solely interested in the underlying terroir and minerality of a wine. I had him taste this 2009 Viognier from barrel—others had found it a bit shocking, as it was not in the typical fruity and soft style of California viognier—but Cristiano understood the virtues of this wine immediately, and declared it his favorite in the cellar. This delightfully different viognier was barrel fermented in older French oak barrels, and aged on the lees for 11 months before bottling in August 2010. It has aromas of wet stones and lime, with a whiff of flowers; it is quite subtle and intriguing. The mouth feel is mineral, juicy and floral—a textural delight!

229 cases made

 

Press Reviews

Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar
Bright straw. Melon, nectarine, mint and powdered stone on the nose. Dense, supple and juicy, with nicely harmonious acidity giving cut and shape to the rich pit fruit and candied lime flavors. This is far less exotic than a lot of New World viognier. Finishes with very good length and spicy lift. Offers a very suave blend of sappy fruit, finesse and nerviness.” ( 91 Points )

2009 Viognier Roll Ranch One Sheet

Hi Resolution Bottle Shot

Hi Resolution Label