The aromatics of honeysuckle, chamomile, and a ripe nectarine draw you in to this complex version of Viognier. With a bright acidity and a defined mineral streak, the palate shows off lemongrass, key lime, and toasted bread.
A counterpoint to the very ripe, often overblown style that Viognier has become notorious for. The picking decision was geared to produce fresher aromatics, bracing natural acidity and an all-over livelier wine. A combination of oxidative must treatment, fermentation by indigenous yeasts, and malolactic fermentation is used to build complexity and texture in the wine.
Vinification
3.35 tons of Viognier were hand-harvested on 8/31 at 20 brix from Hastings Ranch. The fruit was gently whole-cluster pressed in a pneumatic bladder press, and then allowed to settle overnight without SO2 or inert gas cover. 60% of the juice was racked to a concrete tank, and the remainder went into neutral 225L barriques, where it underwent a slow and cool fermentation. Native bacteria carried out malolactic fermentation.
Élevage
The wine was aged in a combination of concrete tank and neutral oak for a full year before bottling in August, 2024. This wine was crafted without the use of added enzymes, acids, tannins or nutrients.
We are a family-owned and operated, authentic wine producer located in one of the world’s most superb wine-growing regions and fueled by some of the most talented people. We believe in this place we call home and the handmade wines we have to share with you. We have come from other places and have varied backgrounds, and we are grateful to share this lovely part of California with those who are also drawn to Paso Robles.
We strive to make elegant wines with more nuances than sheer power. We utilize diverse varietals from exceptional Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, and Monterey vineyards. Our wines are made with minimal intervention and native ferments, and the fruit, acid, and tannins are balanced naturally. We embrace the growing season’s inconsistencies and harvest’s unpredictability rather than producing a standardized product. We are genuine in this pursuit and care about what is in every bottle. What you see is what you get, we are all here to show you around and to pour you a taste. Come for a visit.
Available States
AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Ddeuddeg and I JUST remembered that we forgot to write up our Lab Rat reports as we were about to turn out the lights! Sorry about that! We’ll get on it in the morning.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations)
2023 Thacher Viognier - $55 = 21.56%
Vinous . com…89 points. The 2023 Viognier is coy in the glas, wafting up with a subtle mineral mix of dried flowers and green apples. It is round in character, with a brisk acidity and crisp orchard fruit. The 2023 tapers off with medium length and a tactile crunchiness as a hint of citrus fades slowly. Drink 2025 - 2026 Eric Guido 6/25
First of all apologies for the tardiness. Circumstances. Here’s my report on the 2023 Thacher Viognier. I was thrilled when bahwm announced that she had received a labrat bottle of Viognier, my favorite Rhône white varietal. I immediately started planning a meal I’ve been wanting to try ever since the recipe appeared on the package of diced tomatoes: spinach and tomato tortellini. We make it a point to taste the wine before putting any food into our mouths, and avoid looking at the winery website beforehand, so as not to prejudice our thoughts (thank you, Cathy Corison). Unfortunately, the wine was still a bit too cold, even after a half hour out of the fridge, so the nose was pretty muted. I did detect a little of what reminded me of white peaches, and a really light palate, but that was about it. As the wine warmed some more, I found some apple and more stone fruit, and a lovely creamy texture, which worked very well with the rich sauce and the cheesy pasta. No heat detected, which was to be expected from a wine with 11.9% ABV. After dinner, there was still a little wine left, which we found paired beautifully with Keebler Savory Onion crackers (no cheese). Unfortunately, the wine was so easy-drinking that we didn’t manage to save any for the leftover pasta. All in all, it turned out to be a very enjoyable wine, good with a rich pasta dish, but I think that because this seemed to me to be a lighter style of Viognier than most, it would be more versatile than that. There’s still some summer left. Grab some of this and enjoy.
Good morning, All! Sorry for the delay in doing my report. It seems like this is just the way communication for this Lab Rat bottle is going! I received notification from UPS that a shipment was coming, Next Day Air Saver, but no notification in email. The office has been really good about that lately, so I wrote an email to Terry and got a response. The original email went into my Junk folder! Oops! And last night, we got caught up with other things after a wonderful grilled ribeye dinner at home and we just forgot!
On to the facts, we received a 2023 Thacher Paso Robles Hastings Ranch Vineyard Viognier. This wine is 100% Viognier and 11.9% ABV. It is a light, crisp wine with what appears to me to be high acidity. On the nose, I got freshness and crispness with aromas of green apple. On the palate, the crisp acidity and minerality showed through with more green apple and some tartness. Almost grape-fruity. But there was more, something else to round it out, maybe some ripe stone fruit?
ddeuddeg has been wanting to try a recipe that he found on the back of a package of Hunt’s diced tomatoes for Spinach Tomato Tortellini. It is a delicious, rich dish with heavy cream and milk! Not our usual diet! The recipe is a keeper, but I might add some onion or more garlic next time. Happy to share the recipe, as written by Hunt’s. I’m not sure that this was the best wine to pair with this meal. For me, it was too crisp and perhaps, the acidity of the wine clashed just a tad with the acidity of the tomatoes. That does not reflect on the quality of the wine, but on my personal preference. (Remember: ddeuddeg and I do not confer before writing our reports. I’m sure his says something TOTALLY different about the food pairing!)
There was still some wine left as we moved into the living room. I wanted to try the wine with something else, something a little more neutral, but with some body. I pulled some gouda, and let it warm up a bit. I decided to try it with my favorite cracked black pepper crackers from Aldi (which they don’t seem to be carrying anymore. Wah!). This pairing was decent, but I wanted something else and grabbed a box of Toasteds Savory Onion Crackers (did you know that they are no longer baked by the elves of Keebler???) There! That was the combo I was looking for! The gouda, crackers with a hint of onion and richness, and this wine! Perfection!
If you have some spare cash around as you’ve almost finished with all of the Back to School shopping (school starts next week or the day after Labor Day this year in NYS), grab up some of this wine. Get some friends to join you in your purchase to make it easier on your well-depleted wallet!
The Paso Robles scares me a bit because too much heat/sweet but rats report this is well-balanced. I usually go for Oregon or WA. So deciding if I want to risk a case.
Thacher Viognier
2023 Thacher Viognier, Hastings Ranch Vineyard, Paso Robles
Vinification
Élevage
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$540/Case at Thacher Winery & Vineyard for 12x 2023 Thacher Viognier, Hastings Ranch Vineyard, Paso Robles
About The Winery
Available States
AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Sep 21 - Wednesday, Sep 23
2023 Thacher Viognier
4 bottles for $84.99 $21.25/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $199.99 $16.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Ddeuddeg and I JUST remembered that we forgot to write up our Lab Rat reports as we were about to turn out the lights!
Sorry about that! We’ll get on it in the morning.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations)
2023 Thacher Viognier - $55 = 21.56%
Vinous . com…89 points. The 2023 Viognier is coy in the glas, wafting up with a subtle mineral mix of dried flowers and green apples. It is round in character, with a brisk acidity and crisp orchard fruit. The 2023 tapers off with medium length and a tactile crunchiness as a hint of citrus fades slowly. Drink 2025 - 2026 Eric Guido 6/25
fwiw
@kaolis I do have to credit “tactile crunchiness” as a new wine review word of the year. Now I’m hungry. And thirsty.
First of all apologies for the tardiness. Circumstances. Here’s my report on the 2023 Thacher Viognier. I was thrilled when bahwm announced that she had received a labrat bottle of Viognier, my favorite Rhône white varietal. I immediately started planning a meal I’ve been wanting to try ever since the recipe appeared on the package of diced tomatoes: spinach and tomato tortellini. We make it a point to taste the wine before putting any food into our mouths, and avoid looking at the winery website beforehand, so as not to prejudice our thoughts (thank you, Cathy Corison). Unfortunately, the wine was still a bit too cold, even after a half hour out of the fridge, so the nose was pretty muted. I did detect a little of what reminded me of white peaches, and a really light palate, but that was about it. As the wine warmed some more, I found some apple and more stone fruit, and a lovely creamy texture, which worked very well with the rich sauce and the cheesy pasta. No heat detected, which was to be expected from a wine with 11.9% ABV. After dinner, there was still a little wine left, which we found paired beautifully with Keebler Savory Onion crackers (no cheese). Unfortunately, the wine was so easy-drinking that we didn’t manage to save any for the leftover pasta. All in all, it turned out to be a very enjoyable wine, good with a rich pasta dish, but I think that because this seemed to me to be a lighter style of Viognier than most, it would be more versatile than that. There’s still some summer left. Grab some of this and enjoy.
Good morning, All! Sorry for the delay in doing my report. It seems like this is just the way communication for this Lab Rat bottle is going! I received notification from UPS that a shipment was coming, Next Day Air Saver, but no notification in email. The office has been really good about that lately, so I wrote an email to Terry and got a response. The original email went into my Junk folder! Oops! And last night, we got caught up with other things after a wonderful grilled ribeye dinner at home and we just forgot!
On to the facts, we received a 2023 Thacher Paso Robles Hastings Ranch Vineyard Viognier. This wine is 100% Viognier and 11.9% ABV. It is a light, crisp wine with what appears to me to be high acidity. On the nose, I got freshness and crispness with aromas of green apple. On the palate, the crisp acidity and minerality showed through with more green apple and some tartness. Almost grape-fruity. But there was more, something else to round it out, maybe some ripe stone fruit?
ddeuddeg has been wanting to try a recipe that he found on the back of a package of Hunt’s diced tomatoes for Spinach Tomato Tortellini. It is a delicious, rich dish with heavy cream and milk! Not our usual diet! The recipe is a keeper, but I might add some onion or more garlic next time. Happy to share the recipe, as written by Hunt’s. I’m not sure that this was the best wine to pair with this meal. For me, it was too crisp and perhaps, the acidity of the wine clashed just a tad with the acidity of the tomatoes. That does not reflect on the quality of the wine, but on my personal preference. (Remember: ddeuddeg and I do not confer before writing our reports. I’m sure his says something TOTALLY different about the food pairing!)
There was still some wine left as we moved into the living room. I wanted to try the wine with something else, something a little more neutral, but with some body. I pulled some gouda, and let it warm up a bit. I decided to try it with my favorite cracked black pepper crackers from Aldi (which they don’t seem to be carrying anymore. Wah!). This pairing was decent, but I wanted something else and grabbed a box of Toasteds Savory Onion Crackers (did you know that they are no longer baked by the elves of Keebler???) There! That was the combo I was looking for! The gouda, crackers with a hint of onion and richness, and this wine! Perfection!
If you have some spare cash around as you’ve almost finished with all of the Back to School shopping (school starts next week or the day after Labor Day this year in NYS), grab up some of this wine. Get some friends to join you in your purchase to make it easier on your well-depleted wallet!
The Paso Robles scares me a bit because too much heat/sweet but rats report this is well-balanced. I usually go for Oregon or WA. So deciding if I want to risk a case.
@pmarin According to the bottle, these grapes were harvested at 20 brix on 8/31/23. Hope that helps!