2011 Conundrum White Blend

While the exact blend remains a secret, the 2011 Conundrum delivers its promise of being an exotic, food-friendly white wine that you can't quite catagorize. It's neither too rich nor too light, with just the right balance of extract, acidity, and spice. It consists of both popular and esoteric white grapes, including--but in no special order--Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Viognier, and Muscat Canelli. The various lots are fermented separately so the optimal and most exciting blend can be determined when the wine is ready to be bottled. Some lots are aged in stainless steel while others are aged in a combination of new and used French oak barrels. Thus the final final cuvée exhibits the best of what both methods impart in harmonious balance. Wine Spectator wrote of the 2010 vintage: "Wonderfully effusive, a bouquet of honeysuckle and jasmine gives way to ripe, fleshy peach, pear, tangerine and melon notes. Rich flavors and supple textures are matched by a refreshing acidity." (07/2012)