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Wine Details
Price:
$24.00 per bottle
Description:
Iron Horse produces a very small amount of Viognier. The grapes are grown on the T-bar-T Vineyard in the Northeast foothills of the Alexander Valley. Much of the fruit is combined with Sauvignon Blanc from the same estate to make a maverick blend called Cuvee R. A few exceptional lots are held out in some vintages for special bottling. The 2003 is especially bright, fresh, floral and exquisitely aromatic. It is like pure perfume.
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Varietal Definition
Viognier:
The most acclaimed white wine grape from France's Rhône Valley, Viognier is a highly aromatic varietal, with a flavor profile that could include peach, apricot, nectarine, lichee, musk and flower blossom. The heady perfume of this varietal is one of its trademarks, although its flavors are sometimes problematic in matching with food. However, it does well with lobster, crab and moderately flavored fish. Use it as an apéritif as an alternative to Chardonnay. The "Rhône Rangers" in California have done an excellent job promoting this varietal.
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Sauvignon Blanc:
Sauvignon Blanc is widely grown in California — at over 15,000 acres, it’s now the third most planted variety — and often assumes the moniker ‘Fume Blanc’. This popular synonym, credited to Napa’s Robert Mondavi, derives from the grape’s historic home of Pouilly in France’s Upper Loire Valley, where Sauvignon Blanc is the dominant varietal and goes locally by the name of ‘Blanc Fumé’. When treated with respect and afforded suitable growing conditions, Sauvignon Blanc is one of the wine world’s darlings. Steely, racy acidity, green, gooseberry fruit, asparagus and a grassy, herbaceous character characterize dry wines made from this grape.
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