'07 Viognier Late Harvest

The 2007 Late Harvest Viognier opens with aromas of ripe Bananas, dried apricot and honey. With airing, notes of honeysuckle and apricot jam predominate. A mix of tart mango and ripe Bananas and dried apricots with honey shows how rich and soft Viognier is when allowed to fully ripen naturally. The natural acidity and high residual sugar content create luscious stone fruit flavors and make this a balanced dessert wine. This wine is perfect for pairing with desserts, fresh fruit, and a variety of soft cheeses.

Bridlewood’s 2007 Late Harvest Viognier is the result of grapes harvested from a single vineyard that were allowed to hang past traditional ripeness and finally reaching 29.6* Brix. The vineyard is located at over 3,000 feet in an area of the highest altitude of any region of California’s Central Coast appellation. The vineyard was selected by winemaker David Hopkins for its own unique ‘terroir’. The grapes were harvested at daybreak on September 28, 2007 at the peak of ripeness, de-stemmed to the Bucher Press, cooled to 45*F by the addition of ½ ton of dry ice and allowed to rest overnite before pressing gently to tank. After an additional 48 hrs of cold settling, the clarified juice was fermented at 45*F for 41 days. The wine was then kept chilled at 36*F until bottled at the end of January to preserve all the fresh fruit flavors.

BLEND COMPOSITION: 100% Viognier, 100% Central Coast Appellation