2020 Lindquist Family Viognier-Chardonnay 50-50 Blend
This wine is 50% Viognier from the Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley, and 50% Chardonnay from the Reeves Vineyard in the Edna Valley. This wine is keeping the tradition of a wine that I’ve made since 1991 called Bien Nacido Cuvée. It is a blend of Viognier, picked ultra-rioe, where by itself would be out of balance, blended with cool climate Chardonnay, picked on the early side of ripeness. This wine takes advantage of the lovely, exotic, floral and lychee aromatics of ripe Viognier, balanced by the acidity, freshness, nerve and citric aspects of the Chardonnay.
2020 was an unusual year in so many ways, including the weather during the growing season. A normal, relatively cool June, July and first half of August, was followed by a persistent heat wave that started August 13th, and lasted about 10 days. Then it cooled back down, only to be followed by a record setting heat wave over Labor Day weekend! Then the weather was fine the duration of Harvest.
This is one of our favorite white wines to drink at home. It works great as an aperitif, and is versatile with a wide variety of foods that a dry, aromatic wine can compliment…Thai food, grilled fish, chicken Tikka Masala and mild cheeses. It’s not meant to put in the cellar, rather it is meant to be put in the refrigerator and consumed within a year or two!
Bob Lindquist
April 2021
*92 points The 2020 Viognier 50%/Chardonnay 50% is so appealing. Apricot, chamomile, lemon confit, tangerine oil and marzipan give this effusive white so much character. Just bottled, the 2020 shows the ripeness of the year tempered by the decision to pick early in order to preserve freshness and aromatics. It worked. The 2020 is gorgeous.
-- Antonio Galloni
