Washington wine: 2019 Novelty Hill Stillwater Creek Vineyard Viognier

2019 Novelty Hill Stillwater Creek Vineyard Viognier

Stillwater Creek Vineyard,
Royal Slope,
Columbia Valley,
Washington

13.5% alcohol

Cork closure

510 cases produced

Winemaker Mike Januik whole-cluster-pressed the grapes, then barrel-fermented the juice with the grape skins. Leaving the skins on the wine is called sur lees, and this technique is often used to impart more texture, color, aromas, and flavors into the wine. In the case of this Viognier, six months sur lees really added some great texture and weightiness to the wine.

Bouquet:

The aromas in this Viognier reminded me of summertime… Imagine walking down a dusty orchard road surrounded by apricot, peach, and mango trees laden with ripe fruit ready to be picked while holding a bunch of honeysuckle flower sprigs and sipping some iced jasmine tea. That’s what this wine smelled like!

Palate:

Expect this wine to be weighty yet still crisp in your mouth. It had a full mouthfeel with a fuzzy peach skin texture and flavors of peaches, apricots, and kumquats. I also tasted lemon zest, spearmint, and even crème brûlée as it warmed in my glass. Viognier as a varietal is on the sweeter side but the minerality and acidity in this one cut through the sweetness in a really pleasant way.