2021 Epoch Estate Wines Viognier

95% Viognier, 5% Roussanne. 100% estate-grown, biodynamic farming (uncertified). Aged 7 months sur lie in French oak puncheons and barrels (10% new). RS 0.61 g/l. 367 cases produced. Tasted blind. Medium lemon-green in colour. Fresh basil on the nose, lemon and lime. Palate has phenolic texture and fresh ripe citrus flavours – Meyer lemon, key lime. Slightly elevated acidity with a light pithiness lending texture. Basil notes linger on the finish. (SCJ)

Looking at the 2021 Viognier York Mountain, which comes from a cooler terroir west of Paso Robles and includes 5% Roussanne, it has a Château Grillet-like perfume of white flowers, crushed stone, tangerine, and orange liqueur that's something to behold. Medium-bodied on the palate, with bright acidity and a clean, lengthy style, it has remarkable minerality and tension while at the same time staying quintessentially Viognier. I'd put this beauty up with the finest expression of the variety in California, and it will stand toe to toe with the best Condrieu out there. Epoch continues to pull heavily from their estate Paderewski Vineyard, but they’re also releasing new cuvées from their York Mountain estate as those vines come online. I expect this trend to continue. Looking at the wines reviewed here, I was able to taste all their 2020s now from bottle, and they’ve clearly produced some of the top wines in this challenging vintage. If there’s any smoke in these wines, I was unable to find it, and they have remarkable purity in their aromatics and ripe, polished tannins. I was also able to go through the 2021s with winemaker Jordan Fiorentini, and there are some legit genius wines in here that are as good as anything out there. I’d wager these 2021s are some of the finest wines produced from this estate, and I can’t wait to try them again from bottle next year.

The 2021 York Mountain Viognier is deeply seductive. A burst of dried apricot and dusty dried flowers gives way to ginger notes. This is soft and enveloping with ripe orchard fruits, exotic spices and raw almonds that swirl throughout. It finishes crisply refreshing yet potent, tapering off with traces of young peach.