Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc - Viognier 2024

A bright and expressive nose, the Chenin Blanc brings aromatics of citrus characters of lime, orange blossom, honeysuckle, ginger, and melon. The Viognier component reveals ripe stone fruit and delicate white floral tones. On the palate it is clean and crisp, with notes of white peach lingering on the finish.

After the grapes were crushed, they were cold pressed for two days ahead of blending with the free run juice to increase palate weight. The juice was inoculated with two special yeast strains to maintain the fruity characters and then was fermented cold for three weeks. To retain and highlight the fruit freshness of Chenin Blanc and Viognier, the wine did not undergo malolactic fermentation and was fermented and aged in 100% stainless steel.

The 2024 growing season in Clarksburg AVA was characterized by moderate summer temperatures and the region's signature Delta Breeze cooling effect, creating optimal diurnal temperature variation with warm days reaching 35°C and cool evenings dropping to approximately 10°C. Balanced spring moisture levels provided adequate soil reserves, while the cooling maritime influence from San Francisco Bay preserved natural acidity throughout the ripening period. White grape harvest commenced in late August under favourable conditions, with extended hang time allowing concentrated flavour development while maintaining a bright fruit character.