Stagiaire, "Plastic Stars & Paper Moons" 2022

100% Viognier from from 20 year-old vines. 12.1%ABV

From the winemaker Brent Mayeaux.

On Mount Eden road, just below the vines of the eponymous winery, over the town of Saratoga sit these 20 year old vines of Viognier on some rolling slopes. Picked slightly fresher than past vintages. Fermented in puncheons and barrels, and aged there for about 10 months. Not a lot of stuff to write about good white wine. It gets pressed, put into barrel, and then put into bottle haha. Too simple. It just takes good grapes. This site makes good grapes. Seeds are fully brown, pulp separates from them easily, skins are soft, and stems are lignifying. All the metrics you look for when judging phenolic ripeness… achieved at modest sugars and without losing acid. It shines whether I pick it at 11.5% or 13.5%abv. This is fancy white wine. Elegant. Jasmine and chamomile tea. Orange marmalade and saffron creamsicle. These mid candies called Jujubes that my friend Zane was obsessed with in high school. Reminiscent of warm vintage white burgundy or California Chard made to taste like wine from over there. Rocking and rolling right now, but I know it will be beautiful years down the road. Honestly one of the best white wines I’ve made, so I encourage you to save some if you can. The 2020 is starting to be drawdroppingly impressive now.