2010 "Chrome" White Blend, La Vista Vineyard, Paso Robles

The centerpiece of this wine – the dominant variety in the blend – is Grenache Blanc. By itself, Grenache Blanc has a limited amount of fruit character, but expresses its terroir with charm and aplomb.  To fill gaps in the texture of the wine, Ranchero Cellars used Viognier from the same vineyard that had been fermented on its skins. This component lends a plush viscosity and a mouth-watering grip to the wine, while the ripe and honeyed floral notes of the Viognier beautifully round out the lean and seamless structure of the Grenache Blanc. It was a blend that asked to be made.

2010 Viognier, La Vista Vineyard, Paso Robles

Viognier can be an elusive creature. Its characteristic floral aroma can sometimes be overblown, and its fleshy, rich mouthfeel can, from the wrong vineyard or in the wrong hands, become bitter and downright heavy. Ranchero Cellars found a site at the beautiful Westside Paso Robles vineyard, called La Vista, that provided enough heat to ripen Viognier to honeyed perfection, while at the same time allowing it to maintain the acidity and freshness that come from cool nights and thoughtful canopy management. Texture. Layers. Intense aromatics. Minerality. Brightness. Richness. Voila.

2009 Carignan, Old Vines, Colombini Vineyard

Hailing from a low-yielding site in Redwood Valley, the grapes that made this wine have been grown as a labor of love now by three generations of the Colombini family. In this vineyard, the clusters hang from vines that easily stand up to Carignan’s reputation as a wild and uncivilized variety.  The wine is tannic, acidic, tightly wound, and above all, unique.  The oak shows itself with smoky toast. Old-world texture underscores the wine’s explosive and unapologetic California fruitiness.