2023 Lightning
Tasting Notes
Our 2023 Lightning is a medium-bodied blend of Viognier and Chardonnay, fermented and aged in 100% French Oak. It displays enticing aromas of roasted pear, applesauce, and lemon curd with hints of smoked cashews. The palate offers a creamy mouthfeel with flavors of apple butter, marzipan, and banana foster. The finish is smooth and impeccably balanced, leaving lingering notes of crème brûlée and toasted marshmallow. Enjoy this wine through 2035, with its optimal maturity around 2029. For the best experience, serve it chilled at 50-55°F.
Vineyard Designation
100% Estate Grown
Vintage Notes
The 2023 vintage in Washington state is what we like to call normal. A mild winter gave way to a chilly start to Spring. We saw record-high temperatures by mid-April, causing the vines to come to life around the 3rd week of April. Spring temperatures were average, creating nice growth in the vineyard. Meticulous management of our vineyard blocks allowed us to manage the rapid growth and achieve our targeted crop-load sizes. June and July were very hot, one of the hottest on record for Washington State. We saw veraison fairly early in July, about 2-3 weeks earlier than usual. Having such a hot start to summer led to rapid ripening. When grapes ripen too fast, we see lower acid levels. Seeing some of the lowest acid levels in years isn’t a big issue as it is easily corrected in the cellar. Overall, the 2023 vintage stands out as truly ex- ceptional. The grapes we harvested during this season were among the ripest we’ve witnessed in years. The flavors are amazing from this vintage – our white wines showcase bright tropical fruits with balanced, brisk acidity, and the red wines are robust yet elegant and finesse in structure. Dark berry flavors with refined tannins will create world-class wines from this vintage, which can be enjoyed in their youth or have the ability to cellar for many years.
Winemaking Notes
Like all of our reserve-tier wines, the Lightning blend starts in our estate vineyard. We carefully selected Chardonnay and Viognier blocks and cropped them to low yields for concentrated flavor. Both types of grapes were harvested at optimal maturity in mid-September. The whole clusters were sent to the press for a gentle pressing, then cold settled for 72 hours, and finally clean racked to French oak barrels for a cool fermentation. We closely monitored the wine during malolactic fermentation to ensure complete conversion without producing buttery flavors. After completion, the lees were stirred twice a month for 3 months to enhance body and soften the texture of the wine. Overall, this blend was aged for 10 months in exclusive French oak barrels (80% new, 20% 2-year-old French oak) before being prepared for bottling.
Food Pairing
Paella
Lobster Cioppino
South Indian Chicken Curry
Fontina or Camembert
- Varietal Composition: 75% Viognier and 25% Chardonnay
- Appellation: Yakima Valley
- Aging / Barrel Program: 11 months in 100% French Oak (80% New, 20% 2-Year)
- Cases Produced: 202
- Alcohol: 13.2%
- pH: 3.57
- Acidity: 5.6 g/L
- Ageability: Enjoy now through 2035 with optimal maturity in 2029 Serve at 50-55°F.