Viognier collective is on for 2023! Style decisions

[NorCal]

I've made whites most every year for the past 10 years from grapes. Last year our little collective (@4score , @Busabill and a few others) went to a commercial juice maker in Lodi and purchased 220 gallons of Chardonnay juice. The ease, cost and quality of getting white juice made it so worth the couple hour drive, that we are going to do again this year, but with Viognier. We've made Viognier from grapes a number of times, but this time it will be different; larger quantity, juice, availability of a white wine barrel.

Since the only thing we will be doing together is getting the juice, how the wine is crafted is up to each winemaker.

My goal is to make a full body Vio, with a floral nose, lots of melon and tropical fruit notes, finishing the taste off with vanilla/caramel.

My initial thoughts is to make it similar to how I made Chardonnay last year;

- ferment in the (neutral) oak barrel
- daily stirrings through fermentation
- mlf with Beta for diacetyl production
- lightly oak with French
- barrel age for 5 or so months

Thoughts?

 

[winemaker81]

What yeast strain(s) are you planning? I like QA23 for your purpose as well as TR-313. I'd divide the wine into multiple batches for fermentation, and combine afterward.

Can you ferment cold? I'd target 60 F, or if a strain can't tolerate that, as low as is feasible.

Are the aging barrel(s) neutral?

 

[NorCal]

As always, good comments @winemaker81 . I’ll be using TR-313, it will barrel fermented @67 degrees and aged in a neutral French oak barrel.

 

[Snafflebit]

Nice and chilly. Do you have an idea how long that ferment takes?

 

[NorCal]

I looked at my barrel fermented Chardonnay from last year. It only took 5 days from inoculation to completion. Hoping for twice as long this year.

 

[Jan]

I've made whites most every year for the past 10 years from grapes. Last year our little collective (@4score , @Busabill and a few others) went to a commercial juice maker in Lodi and purchased 220 gallons of Chardonnay juice. The ease, cost and quality of getting white juice made it so worth the couple hour drive, that we are going to do again this year, but with Viognier. We've made Viognier from grapes a number of times, but this time it will be different; larger quantity, juice, availability of a white wine barrel.

Since the only thing we will be doing together is getting the juice, how the wine is crafted is up to each winemaker.

My goal is to make a full body Vio, with a floral nose, lots of melon and tropical fruit notes, finishing the taste off with vanilla/caramel.

My initial thoughts is to make it similar to how I made Chardonnay last year;

- ferment in the (neutral) oak barrel
- daily stirrings through fermentation
- mlf with Beta for diacetyl production
- lightly oak with French
- barrel age for 5 or so months

Thoughts?
View attachment 102074

 

[Jan]

Where will you be buying the juice in Lodai? Is the juice pure Viognier grapes?

 

[NorCal]

Where will you be buying the juice in Lodai? Is the juice pure Viognier grapes?

Yes, juice from a large Lodi commercial grape juice and bulk wine seller. It is 100% varietal viognier.

 

[Cap Puncher]

As always, good comments @winemaker81 . I’ll be using TR-313, it will barrel fermented @67 degrees and aged in a neutral French oak barrel.

I would consider doing the barrel and if you have capacity, do a cold ferment in stainless or carboys. Then, do blending trials with the barrel fermented TR-313. I did did a similar process last year. One with Allegro ( fermented at 60-65F with oak and ML), One with BA11 (fermented 50-55F no oak no ML)on a Washington state Viognier. Each were good on their own, but the blend is very nice!

 

[NorCal]

I would consider doing the barrel and if you have capacity, do a cold ferment in stainless or carboys. Then, do blending trials with the barrel fermented TR-313. I did did a similar process last year. One with Allegro ( fermented at 60-65F with oak and ML), One with BA11 (fermented 50-55F no oak no ML)on a Washington state Viognier. Each were good on their own, but the blend is very nice!

I will be looking at 70 gallons of juice to start to net 60, + enough for racking and topping. I will definitely have one ferment in the barrel and one outside it as well, but it will be small compared to the barrel. I'm going to be very stingy on the oak; I want to try to keep as much of the viognier fruity profile as I can.

 

[NorCal]

Well to end this thread on an “oh well”, viognier is not available this year from the source that we located. Maybe next season. Instead, I’ll be doing another barrel of Chardonnay and take what I learned last year and apply it.

 

[BarrelMonkey]

Well to end this thread on an “oh well”, viognier is not available this year from the source that we located. Maybe next season. Instead, I’ll be doing another barrel of Chardonnay and take what I learned last year and apply it.

My source of viognier fell through too... still trying to decide i I should try to source another white grape, or just stick with my planned red (syrah)...

 

[winemaker81]

Well to end this thread on an “oh well”, viognier is not available this year from the source that we located. Maybe next season. Instead, I’ll be doing another barrel of Chardonnay and take what I learned last year and apply it.

While this is a bummer, you have a Plan B, and I expect in the long term you'll be happy.

This is a good reminder that we should always have a Plan B (and a Plan C) handy, as Mother Nature doesn't care one bit about our plans.

Are you going to do an in-depth thread documenting your activities? I enjoy this type of thread and find it useful as well as entertaining.

 

[Nebbiolo020]

While this is a bummer, you have a Plan B, and I expect in the long term you'll be happy.

This is a good reminder that we should always have a Plan B (and a Plan C) handy, as Mother Nature doesn't care one bit about our plans.

Are you going to do an in-depth thread documenting your activities? I enjoy this type of thread and find it useful as well as entertaining.

That’s been the bane of my winemaking career weather dropping a bomb on my plans

 

[crushday]

I was contacted by a vineyard near Red Mountain with a ton of viognier for sale. Interested?

 

[NorCal]

I was contacted by a vineyard near Red Mountain with a ton of viognier for sale. Interested?

@crushday, thanks and as always I appreciate you. I’ve moved on to trying to improve upon my Chardonnay making skills this year.

 

[joeswine]

Well to end this thread on an “oh well”, viognier is not available this year from the source that we located. Maybe next season. Instead, I’ll be doing another barrel of Chardonnay and take what I learned last year and apply it.

 

[joeswine]

Sound like a true winemaker