'06 Marsanne / Viognier
 

Continuing to pursue bottling this spring - today tested and racked the
'06 Marsanne / Viognier blend in preparation for bottling.
The wine tests at .1% or less residual sugar (clinitest) and has been
completely still for a long time now. pH between 3.1 and 3.2 (flaky pH
meter - need new electrodes!). SO2 tested at <8 ppm (AO), so added K2SO5
solution to get back up to 30 ppm. Alcohol 12.3%.
Mrs and I both tested, and had remarkably similar tasting notes: Wine is
brilliantly clear, a pale yellow / gold color. The nose is complex and
fruit forward - notes of citrus and peach. The taste is dry but fresh,
well balanced, with a slight minerality we both enjoyed.
This was our first venture into blending our estate Marsanne. We had
access to some orphaned Viognier at a frind's place, so harvested and
fermented the two separately, blending during 'secondary'. 70% Marsanne, 30%
Viognier.
Plan is to bottle in a week or two. 11.5 gallons should yield 59 or 60
bottles (5 cases). We're thrilled - and thinking we will make this same
blend again this next year.
--

'06 Marsanne / Viognier
 

Sounds great, where did you get your vines? I didn't think that was
commonly grown outside of the Rhone. Was the Viognier higher in
acid? You did well with that pH for Marsanne.

Joe

'06 Marsanne / Viognier
 

The Viognier came in around 3.1 - something, the Marsanne, at a lower
sugar, 3.2 to 3.3. the blend SHOULD be 3.2 or slightly higher - but my
meter is currently telling me just under 3.2. Not sure I believe it - I am
becoming more convinced I need new electrodes (takes a long time to get
a stable calibration).
I bought the vines 6 years ago from a commercial vineyard which had a
surplus from a planting of Marsanne they had just completed. I've
currently got 40 vines, on grafted rootstock. But looks like I'll be purchasing
grapes for the '07 season - got hit hard by a severe frost in late
April, and the new shoots were all but destroyed. I'll be lucky to not lose
vines, much less take fruit, this year.
We've been thrilled with the Marsanne. It is a crisper wine than
anything we were previously led to believe. Has wonderful aromatics, and is a
vigorous vine with good production. And here in the dry Sierra Foothills,
we've not had any problems with bunch rot, despite the big dense
clusters.



Joe Sallustio > wrote:
>Sounds great, where did you get your vines? I didn't think that was
>commonly grown outside of the Rhone. Was the Viognier higher in
>acid? You did well with that pH for Marsanne.
>
>Joe
>



--

'06 Marsanne / Viognier
 

You have no idea how jealous I am. I have been looking for a source for
Viognier for several years. I had some make in Mo. and it was great. You
just stumble into unused vines.

Ray

"Ric" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> Continuing to pursue bottling this spring - today tested and racked the
> '06 Marsanne / Viognier blend in preparation for bottling.
> The wine tests at .1% or less residual sugar (clinitest) and has been
> completely still for a long time now. pH between 3.1 and 3.2 (flaky pH
> meter - need new electrodes!). SO2 tested at <8 ppm (AO), so added K2SO5
> solution to get back up to 30 ppm. Alcohol 12.3%.
> Mrs and I both tested, and had remarkably similar tasting notes: Wine is
> brilliantly clear, a pale yellow / gold color. The nose is complex and
> fruit forward - notes of citrus and peach. The taste is dry but fresh,
> well balanced, with a slight minerality we both enjoyed.
> This was our first venture into blending our estate Marsanne. We had
> access to some orphaned Viognier at a frind's place, so harvested and
> fermented the two separately, blending during 'secondary'. 70% Marsanne,
> 30%
> Viognier.
> Plan is to bottle in a week or two. 11.5 gallons should yield 59 or 60
> bottles (5 cases). We're thrilled - and thinking we will make this same
> blend again this next year.
> --
>
>

'06 Marsanne / Viognier
 

Sorry to hear about the frost, they sounds like grat grapes.

Before you give up on that electrode try washing it with contact lens
cleaner; you could have a protein buildup. I condition mine by
leaving it it in buffers of 10 and 4 for about an hour. I don't know
that it helps but it make me feel better..

Joe