Clay Station Viognier Lodi California 2009

Price: £10.99

Aromas of apricot, honeysuckle and peach, a full fruity palate with a full body and a refreshing finish

Producer: Clay Station is one of the brands of DFV Wines. DFV Wines, located east of San Francisco, started out as Delicato Family Vineyards more than 80 years ago when Garpare Indelicato emigrated to California from Campobello in Italy and began growing grapes like his father, grandfather and several generations before him had done.

Today third-generation family members Chris and Jay Indelicato run the business, which includes vineyard estates across some of the top regions of California, such as San Bernabe Vineyard in Monterey and Clay Station in the foothills in Lodi. DFV Wines grows everything from Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Sirah and Shiraz to Chardonnay, Viognier, and Pinot Grigio and markets its wines under a clutch of brands, including Delicato, Gnarly Head, Twisted and Irony.

It is the company’s philosophy to dedicate itself to environmentally sensitive and economically sustainable business practices and their ultimate goal is to farm with as little impact on the environment as possible and to ensure a healthy life cycle for all of the inhabitants of the vineyard. In fact, under the Indelicato family’s stewardship, the San Bernabe Vineyard now has a natural habitat that didn’t exist before and has become home to a wide range of creatures including wild boar, coyotes, badgers, deer, mountain lions, eagles, hawks, falcons, roadrunners, ducks and a variety of fish. Furthermore, viticulturists at San Bernabe and Clay Station vineyards have developed specially designed owl nesting boxes. These nocturnal predators hunt down and consume pesky rodents that damage tender young vines.

Grape: Viognier is a French grape, originally grown in Northern Rhone in Condrieu. It is also planted in Southern France, California, Australia and Argentina. It likes a warm climate but is prone to mildew. The grapes are deep yellow resulting in a wine that is deeply coloured and high in alcohol. It produces full-bodied wines that in the best examples taste and smell of apricots, peaches and blossom. Highly perfumed, Viognier makes a good wine to blend with other varieties, e.g. Chardonnay. Best drunk young.

Style: These wines are more distinctive in style than the mainstream grape varieties and usually provoke a love/hate response! Worth testing out on your tastebuds is a Gewurztraminer for a luscious & fragrant wine with lychee, lime and apricot aromas. This wine is wonderful with Chinese or Thai food. Discover the full on fruitiness of the fabulous Riesling grape which develops petrol aromas as it ages.

Ratings for older vintages

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