2021 Larry Hyde Viognier Estate

The 2021 Viognier comes from just four rows of this fickle variety. Made in a combination of stainless steel and older French oak, it's perfumed and floral, with modest spice shadings and hints of cinnamon-poached pear. In the mouth, it's medium-bodied, nicely clean and fresh but slightly undernourished and tart, without the desired fullness and generosity on the palate. According to Chris Hyde, the Viognier was picked earlier than usual in 2021 because of hydric stress, but it is still a nice, crisp, silky-textured white to drink young.