2021 Poplar Grove Viognier

Pale lemon in colour. Floral aromas of honeysuckle and peach exude from the glass with the first inhale. The palate has smooth mouth feel with medium acidity giving it a platform for flavours of nectarine and sweet spice.

2021 arrived from one of the easiest winters we have seen with no bud or vine death detected. Bud burst was a full week ahead of 2020 so it was an earlier than normal start to the season. Early spring was dry and cool. A light frost in mid-May occurred but the vines were unscathed. May’s average temperatures were between 20°C – 25°C. First heat arrived the end of May: 40°C in Osoyoos that lasted for 2 days. With only a couple days of rain, it was one of the driest springs on record. The last week of June set records with a 7-day heat dome which brought 46°C in Osoyoos, 44°C in Skaha, and 43° C in Penticton. The remainder of July enjoyed consistent heat with temperatures in the mid to high 30°C. The first week of August saw some cloudy skies due to smoke from fires, but the next 2 weeks of August were crystal clear and hot with very little precipitation. August 20th saw the cooler weather move in and 25°C became the norm. September was beautiful, sunny and warm, 25°C – 30°C, perfect for ripening grapes. Whites were harvested 10-14 days earlier than average. Because of the heat dome, the estate vineyards were 15-20% down in tonnage but showed excellent fruit quality.

Winemaker Notes

Our 2021 Viognier was hand picked from the estate vineyards on September 22nd. The grapes were immediately crushed and left to rest on the skins for two hours to increase aromatics and add body to the finished wine. The wine was fermented at 14°C lasting four weeks. The grape’s natural sweetness was retained by cooling the wine to arrest the fermentation process. The wine was cold stabilized before final filtration and bottling to ensure the wine is an optimal expression of pristine Okanagan fruit.

Food Pairing Notes

Pair with a creamy cheese or a rich white fish dish.