2009 KATIN Viognier - Paso Robles

REVIEWS

The Rhone Report, Dec. 2011 By Jeb Dunnuck 2009 Katin Viognier (USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles)$32

A rich yet elegant Viognier, the 2009 Katin Viognier is aged on lees for 6 months and with no malo, shows solid purity and freshness on the nose with ripe peach and stone fruit like qualities pairing up with good mineral, floral and spice notes that show more with air. More seemingly ripe and fleshy on the palate the wine possesses a rich, surprisingly full texture as well as crips acidity and good length on the finish. Drink over the coming 1-2 years. (90 pts).

Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, Nov/Oct 11 By Josh Raynolds

Bright yellow-gold. Ripe pit fruits, yellow plum and orange zest on the highly perfume nose. Broad, rich and honeyed on entry, then smooth and silky in the middle, offering juicy nectarine and pear flavors and a refreshing jolt of bitter citrus pith. Bright and lively on the finish, with the orange note repeating. (90 points)

Vineyard Notes

The 2009 Viognier was produced from a vineyard located in the Templeton Gap, on the limestone soils of west Paso Robles. The vineyard was originally palanted to Sauvignon Blanc in the 1980s and later bud grafted with suitcase clones from Condrieu. In 2007, we signed a long-term contract to secure this 5-acre block for our Viognier program. The vineyard is heavily influenced by the cool air that flows off the Pacific Ocean through the Templeton Gap, a depression in the Santa Lucia Mountain Range. The grapes' acidity is preserved by daily diurnal temperature changes of 40-50ºF. The vineyard soils are marked by well-drained calcareous soils, laden with old marine sediment and whale bone fossils. The vineyard produces grapes with intense aromatic and mineral components.

Winemaker Notes

The 2009 is our third vintage from this single vineyard in the heart of Templeton Gap. The 09' Vintage produced a crop that was 30% below normal due to April frost, but a great ripening pattern in September allowed the Viognier to reach peak ripeness around the third and fourth week. The Viognier Grapes were hand picked and sorted at the winery. Half of the grapes were gently whole-cluster pressed and the other half were de-stemmed for 24-36 hours of skin contact. Both lots were fermented in neutral French oak barrels with native and selected yeast strains. Malo-lactic fermentation was prevented to retain the natural acidity and balance of the wine. The wine was aged sur lie for six months.

Release Date: Spring 2011
Production: 200
Price: $32.00 Buy Wine