2023 Sean Thackrey "Pleiades" California Viognier

Viognier was a favorite grape of the late great Sean Thackrey and those he mentored continue making this wine in his honor. As with all great expressions of this grape, timing of harvest is everything. From working with the grape a little myself in years gone by, the grapes are quite bland and insipid as they approach ripeness. Then all of a sudden they're exploding with exotic aromatics, incredible flavors and ripe phenolics. Just a day or two later all that vibrancy turns to powdery cheap perfume, the texture of the resulting wine is oily and cumbersome. So, the trick is to be present and get the grapes off the vine at the critical moment to get that magical balance of exotic varietal flavor, but without losing balance and freshness. This wine has lovely balance of these components. The long, cool growing season no doubt helped nail the timing of the pick. Delicate pressing and cool fermentation also to helps preserve the elegant high-toned fruits.