20m3

Much More Information...

Made from 100% organically-farmed Viognier wine grapes grown on our Mt. Veeder Estate.  About half an acre in total, at the lowest and most protected part of the site.  It’s surrounded by redwoods and often bathed in fog.  Hand-picked, whole-cluster pressed.  Fermented and aged in terracotta amphorae.

2022 edition: Pecorino, pear, wet stone; artfully worked lees in clay amphorae enhances reduction notes.  Guava, pineapple, and vanilla cake icing draw you in.  Apple and plum on the mid palate sidles up in a delightful rich, tightly packed explosion of flavor.  Lime and pineapple to finish on a knife’s edge of tartness perfectly balances the density and weight.

“The single-varietal 2022 20m3 Viognier gives up notes of ripe Golden Delicious apples, poached pears, and lemongrass with hints of white pepper and honeysuckle. The medium-bodied palate has a lovely oiliness to the texture and a racy backbone. (93)” L. Perrot-Brown, TWI

We pick by hand, and then delicately press the whole cluster.  We ferment AND age it in Italian terra cotta amphorae, so it never sees oak or stainless steel. (The amphorae are hand made in Tuscany by the Manetti family using the same clay pits that the Etruscans used for their pottery thousands of years ago). We use only its indigenous (wild) yeasts. Fermentation usually takes about 2 months at 52°F. No malo-lactic. Aged 10 months in amphora before bottling.

The name 20m3, or “Twenty Cubic Meters”, derives from the estimated amount of gold in the world. Aaron was so intrigued by this idea that he decided to use if as the name for the Viognier which is also precious, rare and golden colored.