So when the owner of Caliza Vineyard, Carl Bowker, offered me one ton of his Viognier, I immediately jumped at the opportunity. Since 2018, we’ve been purchasing Syrah from Carl, and his fruit has always stood out in our cellar. The vineyard itself is extreme; located in the heart of Willow Creek, it is surrounded by an oak forest on a steep south-facing hillside littered with calcareous shale and limestone (not more than a mile from Levo Vineyard). This terroir produces very small clusters that are packed with flavor and intense acidity - just the way we like it!
On September 14th, the grapes were handpicked and then meticulously sorted at the winery. I personally foot-stomped the Viognier and let the cold juice macerate on the skins overnight. The following day, we gently pressed the grapes directly to a once-used 600 Liter Demi Muid. As the wine ticked through fermentation, it slowly emerged as one of our favorite lots in the cellar. Rich and ripe but also great tension with nice acidity and freshness. Please note there is some sediment in this white wine as it went straight from the barrel to the bottle and no filters in between. Don’t worry, just unadulterated, honest winemaking at work! | 
