2012 Fingerprint Series VRM White Blend

Viognier in collaboration with 30% Rousanne and 35% Marsanne is rare from Argentina.   Our estate Rhone-style blend is like strolling through a peach orchard under the warm sun. Concentrated and full-bodied, its refreshing vibrancy leads to a divine, memorable finish. This might just change the way you think of white wine.

35% Viognier, 30% Roussanne & 35% Marsanne

The grapes in our Fingerprint Series white blend are Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier.  We don’t list them on the label because the Argentine Government does not recognize these varieties...yet!  We are working with the authorities to have them be part of the recognized varieties grown in Argentina.

Viognier
Viognier is a white wine grape originally from the Condrieu sub-appellation of the Rhône region of France. It is not widely planted in the United States, and even more rarely planted in Argentina, due to its finicky nature during the growing cycle. It is oftentimes co-fermented with Syrah for its aromatic qualities and boosting color and stone fruit characteristics. In Argentina, the white most served is called Torrontes. While certainly pleasant, we don’t think it has nearly the same interesting profile that our white blend shows.  We also don’t believe you have to do what everyone else does. Sometimes to score, you have to mix it up a bit!

Roussanne
Roussanne is a white wine grape grown originally in the Rhône wine region in France, Languedoc-Roussillon and in California. It is considered to be the sister to Marsanne with which it is often blended. This rich, honeyed grape is disappearing from the vineyards of white Hermitage where it once held sway. It is difficult to ripen, and seemingly oxidizes at every opportunity. It was clear to us that the terroir and growing conditions in Argentina would produce great fruit with these varieties.

Marsanne
It is the more important of the two most planted white grapes of the northern Rhône due to its consistent yields and predictable vinification and maturation. Its flavors of rich orange and creamy lemon are allied with its waxy texture for a unique experience. The grape is also grown in southern France and in the Côtes du Rhône.