2008 Trefethen Viognier

A Sweet But Light White. The Perfect Summer Wine?

I remember my first viognier.

I was at the Walnut Creek Art and Wine Festival, probably in 2005 or 2006. I love the event. My little suburban town puts on a mean festival. And by mean, I don’t actually mean mean, of course. But there is wine, and food, and art, and music, and little rides for the kids, and classic cars, and…

Sorry.

Anyway, at one of these events, a few years ago, I was just getting over my “real wine drinkers drink red wine” bullshit phase, and exploring some whites. I already knew I preferred sauvignon blanc to chardonnay, and I loved pinot grigio. But here’s this grape I’ve never even heard of. A grape I have trouble pronouncing… “viognier.”

At any rate, I liked it, if with reservations. The sweet, floral, herbacious experience was a positive one, overall.

Fast forward to December, 2009.

On a trip to Trefethen Family Vineyards to do a little tasting, I chose their 2008 Viognier to include on my make-your-own-tasting-flight (one of the most interesting parts of the Trefethen tasting experience). Glad I did.

In the glass, the wine is almost completely clear. It’s a very, very light shade of barely-yellow. Hold that up next to a full-bodied Chardonnay, and you’d swear the viognier was actually water. One sniff will dispel this thought, however: it smells like a wonderful flower garden, like grass and geraniums. Also, like lightly honeyed fruit. Not the sweet, sacchrine scent of a dessert wine; it’s much more subtle than all that.

On the palate are pleasant floral notes mixed with apricots–definitely apricots–and some light herbs. All in all, this is an incredibly pleasant wine. I may have enjoyed it in the heart of the December chill, but I immediately thought of sipping this while grilling up some chicken or fish in the heat of July.

Verdict: A-

2006 Trefethen Cabernet Franc

The Cab Franc That Started It All, For Me At Least

I started drinking wine in 2000 (legally, anyhow. ahem.)… but I really didn’t branch out for years. I drank almost exclusively Merlot, a little Cabernet Sauvignon here and there, and then I discovered Pinot Noir.

Blah blah blah, years pass where I believe Pinot Noir is all there is to wine.

On a trip to Napa Valley’s Oak Knoll / Stag’s Leap / Yountville areas several years back, some friends insisted that we stop at Trefethen Family Vineyards, a place I’d not only never been to, but that I’d never heard of.

“Oh, you’ll have to try the Cab Franc,” I was told.

The Cab Whatnow? I thought “Cabernet” and “Sauvignon” were inseparable, like Tango & Cash. Little did I know.

I’m not sure which vintage of the Trefethen Cabernet Franc I first tried on that fateful trip (I want to say the 2002 or 2003), but this 2006 met my nostalgic expectations. That simply isn’t easy.

The wine is a very deep ruby red, but still shows off a real red, not purple or “black” look. The nose shows a hint of red raspberry, but the overwhelming notes are of a more rustic nature. Coffee, chocolate, and tobacco notes dance around the glass.

There isn’t a lot of fruit on the palate. The Franc entices with a dry tightness that I liked a lot. The major flavor notes were the tobacco from the nose, and a black pepper spice that threatened to overwhelm, but, well, didn’t. Freakin’ awesome after all these years.

Verdict: A-

2008 Trefethen Dry Riesling

A Riesling To Die For

Last weekend we took a quick trip up to Domaine Chandon in Yountville to pick up our holiday shipment from their wine club. Luckily, we didn’t throw a regular Christmas or New Year’s party this year, so the magnum of Blanc de Noirs wasn’t yet needed.

After our stop there and some 12- and 20-year aged cuvee tasting, we decided to take my folks to Trefethen Family Vineyards, since they had never been. They’re home to one of my all-time favorite Cabernet Francs, but this time, a white of theirs stole my heart.

The 2008 Dry Riesling is very light and delicate-looking in the glass. Light plays right through it, and it looks incredibly crisp and clear. On the nose are some extremely pleasant floral notes that reminded me more of Viognier (which I’d yet to taste that day), along with a very nice honey scent that wasn’t too sticky or sweet.

The wine has a light and bright mouthfeel that matches its color (in a metaphorical sense, of course). The wine is crisp, but has a rather long, lingering finish with a very pleasant aftertaste. It’s an acidic white that really plays up its citrus–and specifically lemon–notes all along the palate. There is a little sweetness to the wine as well (it is, after all, a riesling) but this is in no way a “sweet” wine. No dessert here. This is a gorgeous pairing wine that would also work remarkably well on a hot summer day outdoors.

It’s like a picnic in a bottle. Just add cheese.

Verdict: A