Upper Ojai, Ventura County
Since 2009 Adam has worked hard at crafting a lighter, more delicately perfumed variation on this typically heavy varietal. The result is a wine that expresses its unique white flower fragrances while finding the freshness and saline side that is so rarely explored. When captured early at Roll Ranch—located in the warm upper reaches of the Ojai valley—the fruit has a golden rich fragrance that is penetrating but never tiring, freshly floral rather than oily and intoxicating. It makes for a wine that can appear shy against its peers but ultimately pairs with food rather than competes with it, the texture enhancing flavors the way salt does, but without saturating the senses.
The 2013 vintage, a rather classically warm California year, gave this wine a generosity that was not present in the 2010 version. It has garnered a lot of attention amongst Rhone wines aficionados, which is for us an indication that American wine culture is continuing to move towards wines of balance that are aware of their role at the table and blossom with the accompaniment of food.
Blend: 100% Viognier | Alc: 13.5% | Vinification: 100% Neutral French Oak | Barrel Aging: 11 Months | Total Production: 225 cases
Press Reviews
Antonio Galloni’s Vinous
“Light yellow-gold. Expressive aromas of nectarine, dried orange, pungent flowers and white pepper. Sweet, bright and penetrating, offering lively pit and orchard fruit flavors lifted by harmonious acidity. Quite elegant, even understated, on the dry, lingering, stony finish.” – JR 91 Points
“The 2013 Viognier Roll Ranch Vineyard jumps from the glass with white stone fruits, lemon and jasmine all in a crisp, floral style best suited for drinking over the next handful of years.”
– AG 90 Points
Robert Parkers Wine Advocate
“A great Viognier from California, Adam’s 2013 Viognier Roll Ranch comes from a hot terroir located near the estate in Ojai. It offers tons of saltiness in its white peach, citrus and floral aromatics, and this flow to a medium-bodied, juicy, beautifully pure white that has good acidity and a clean, dry finish. Seeing full malo and aging on lees in older French oak, it should drink beautifully for 2-3 years.” – JD 91 Points
