December 2006 Wine Tasting Notes: "Do y'all have any sweet wine?"
2005 Cambria Late Harvest Viognier, Tepusquet Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley.
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Golden straw in color, this late harvest Viognier offers aromas of white flowers, light honey notes and apricot. On the palate, are bright citrus with a tangerine zing over honeyed apricot and hints of warm spice. The medium finish stats with a burst of ripe apricots and evolves into strong, ripe tangerine and grapefruit. Appropriate mineral notes throughout. The alcohol is well integrated with the acid levels and minerality for an elegant, smooth but distinctly Rhône mouthfeel. |
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RWB Score: 89 breakdown 15.0% Alcohol 8.0 g/100mL residual sugar 375 ml bottles |
Shy at first, this 2005 late harvest Viognier is like Ravel's Bolero: steady paced but growing in intensity. The nose reflects a composed and balanced personality while the palate is an ascent of scintillating citrus flavors that crescendo and resonate with the apricot notes on the finish. The finish alone makes this wine worthy of consumption. It is versatile as a stand alone or as a companion to other dessert offerings. Expect broad appeal through 2010. |
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More Cambria reviews. More on Santa Maria Valley |
100% Tepusquet Vineyard Viognier. These grapes were hand harvested at 35 degrees Brix and aged two weeks in 100% French Oak. Bottled at 9.5 degrees Brix.
Viognier is a Rhône varietal rapidly becoming popular in California. In addition to being offered as a single varietal, it is often blended with Roussanne to make white Rhône blends and is also used in that region (and in California) to soften Syrah and Syrah-based red blends. It is being experimented with in unconventional blends with Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. At its best, it shows perfumed floral aromas with tropical fruit flavors and a rich, almost viscous mouthfeel with a prominent mineral element. It is less apt to take on dominant oak characteristics than Chardonnay. Aromas and flavors typical of Viognier include: Acacia, Anise, Apricot, Guava, Honey, Kiwi, Mango, Mint, Orange Blossoms, Pineapple and Tangerine as well as mineral notes.
Grapes harvested later in the season, can be affected by Botrytis cinerea - the fungus that attacks the grape skins, causing the fruit to shrivel and become dehydrated. This is likely to happen in conditions of alternating damp, misty mornings and warm, sunny afternoons. The fungus infests the grapes, leaving them shriveled, dehydrated, and super-concentrated. This is called Noble Rot. In conditions of constant dampness and cold, Botrytis destroys the grapes and makes the crop unusable - this is called Grey Rot. In addition to concentrated flavors and sugars, there are unique flavors of Botrised grapes which originate from the fungus and are extracted during wine production. These can be characterized as smoky, creamy, nutty or musky with a dried fig quality. Neither Grey nor Noble Rot are common in dry climates with constant sunshine such as the Rhône Valley or the Central Coast.
The 2005 growing season ended with a crop larger than previous years. The year was generally cool and is being compared to the acclaimed 1997 vintage, but only time will prove this true. The long and cool growing season without heat spikes resulted in fruit with good extraction but lower sugar levels and subsequent excitement over the quality of wines to be produced. The slow ripening of the fruit is expected to make for elegance and balance in the wines of this vintage. The growing season started with spring rains which contributed to robust vine growth. With a higher risk of mildew, growers had their hands full managing irrigation, fertilization and very intensive canopy management starting early in the season. As a result of this robust growth, growers had to be more aggressive about dropping fruit to control yields later in the season. There were no serious heat spikes which allowed even and steady development of grapes.
What is now known as Cambria's Tepusquet Vineyard is situated in the eastern, and warmest, end of the Cambria estate. It is a respected source of Syrah and Viognier. In 1986, Barbara Banke and her husband Jess Jackson (Founder of Kendall-Jackson Wines), purchased a portion of the original Tepusquet Vineyard (planted by Louis Lucas, his brother George and their partner Alfred Gagnon in 1970 and 1971). On that land, they created a 1,405-acre estate complete with a winery and cellar. The current Cambria estate is subject to marine influences (the Pacific is just 17 miles to the west) and has southern sun exposure. The vineyard's location on a slope also protects it form the strong winds blowing through the Santa Maria Valley. The vineyard soil is composed of well-draining sand (the area is an ancient river bed) which is believed to encourage growth of fruit with dense and concentrated flavors. The cooling effect of the Pacific air helps preserve optimal acid levels and varietal characteristics.
The twenty year-old Cambria estate grows Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Viognier. The goal of the Vineyard Manager-Winemaker team is to bring out the individual characteristics of the various portions of this cool-climate estate. The core of Cambria's production (a reported 90% of total production) is made up of Katherine's Chardonnay, Julia's Pinot Noir (from vineyards named after Barbara and Jess' daughters) and Tepusquet Syrah. In addition, the Bench Break Vineyard is planted to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Grown in the toughest soils and exposed to the coolest temperatures in the estate, wines from this vineyard display a more distinctly mineral character that those produced from other portions of the estate. All the wine making efforts are under the auspices of Denise Shurtleff. She is a graduate of California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and Food Administration. Joining Cambria in 1999, Denise arrived with 16 years experience as Winemaker and Winery Manager at Corbett Canyon Vineyards. Her focus is on bringing out varietal characteristics and complexity in each wine reflective of the estate's terroir.
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5 points |
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Nose |
3 points |
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Palate |
3 points |
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Finish |
3 points |
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Astringency/Minerality |
5 points |
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Acidity |
5 points |
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Alcohol |
4 points |
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Aging potential |
2 points |
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Overall quality |
8 points |
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