2017 El Dorado County of Sierra Foothills Viognier.
Fresh acidity, unoaked, fragrant fruit
Dry
Rich and fruity
50% Stainless steel ferment
For acid raciness
50% neutral oak ferment
For body and weight
50% MLF
Aromatic complexity
History and other info:
The Grape:
Only permitted grape in the Condrieu of the Rhone Valley
Originating in Dalmatia, and spread by the Romans
Some have the name coming from the Roman pronunciation of Gehennae, meaning “road to the valley of hell.” Drink responsibly ;)
The Land: El Dorado County of the Sierra Foothills
Winemaking was born along with the gold rush in 1848
Poor economic conditions and a dwindling population weakened the grape game, and prohibition finished it off between 1920-1960
The 1970’s saw the resurgence of the wine and grape industry
Officially became an AVA in 1983
El Dorado is a sub-appellation of the 2,600,000-acre Sierra Foothills AVA
Over 70 Varietals grown
Sandwiched between the Middle Fork of the American River and the South Fork of the Cosumnes River
Elevation ranges from 1200 to 3500ft
El Dorado's mountain vineyards are perched at elevations ranging from 1200-3500ft, where cooling breezes off the Sierra Nevada mountains create a diversity of microclimates and growing conditions not found in other regions in valley settings
El Dorado is cooled by elevation rather than by the fog that is common to the coastal regions
there are three basic soil types determining the characteristics of the region: fine-grained volcanic rock, decomposed granite and fine-grained shale
El Dorado is a mythical being known as the golden one
In his 1849 poem "El Dorado," writer Edgar Allan Poe offers an eerie and eloquent suggestion: "Over the Mountains of the Moon, down the Valley of the Shadow, ride, boldly ride … if you seek for El Dorado."
El Hombre Dorado ("The Golden Man") or El Rey Dorado ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish Empire to describe a mythical tribal chief (zipa) of the Muisca native people in then Spanish colonial province of Colombia, who, as an initiation rite, covered himself with gold dust and submerged in Lake Guatavita.
