Until recently, this grape varietal was found almost exclusively in the small Northern Rhone appellation known as Condrieu, where its ancestry could be traced to Roman times. Today it is more widely planted but it's still rare in the Willamette Valley. Cristom planted 1-1/4 acres of Viognier in 1993 on their warmest site. Cristom then planted an additional 1-3/4 acres in 2003 that is adjacent to the original planting.

Origin:  100% Estate fruit

Appellation:Willamette Valley- Eola-Amity Hills AVA

Fermentation: fermented in neutral oak barrels and stainless steel barrels with a combination of native and commercial yeast strains

Aging:  10 monthes, sur lie,  goes through malo-lactic fermentation

Bottling:  Bottled unfiltered in September  2008

Alcohol:  14.0 %           

Total Acidity:    5.4 g/l          

pH at bottling:   3.53

RS:   .43%       

Production:  478 cases produced

Winery Notes:

Orange zest, honeysuckle and white pepper are showing off on the nose of this green-gold Viognier. Fruit-juicy pear and ripe-apple flavors enter on the palate. This vintage is potentially more viscous and ripe than usual but it still has a refreshing and clean finish. Winemaker Steve Doerner feels that Viognier is best-consumed young while the exotic aromatics of this grape variety are at their most scintillating.