Freshly cut peaches and apricot familiarity radiates in the nose, kissed by honeysuckle and intriguing floral notes with a hint of vanilla. The mouth reflects fresh peaches and cream with a robe of subtle vanilla.

The 2001 harvest was outstanding with bright warm, sunny fall weather that ripened the Viognier to its fullest expression of fruit. Bonterra winemaker, Robert Blue, crafts this wine to emphasize the floral and fresh stone fruit nuances of the varietal in lieu of an intrusive oak.

The grapes were picked ripe at 24.8° Brix, pressed quickly in order to capture the fresh fruit, settled, and then racked to barrels. Barrel fermentation took place in older French oak.

Color is radiant light yellow. Freshly cut peaches and apricot familiarity explodes in the nose, kissed by honeysuckle and intriguing floral notes with a hint of vanilla. The mouth reflects fresh peaches and cream with a robe of subtle vanilla.

The 2001 Bonterra Viognier is delightful sipping on its own, but it shines with smoked seafood, light Asian appetizers, lightly spiced poultry, simply prepared seafood as well as with veal or pork roast.

"From well-groomed vineyards along the western foothills in Hopland, an expressive Viognier that titillates with exotic notes, but doesn't veer into eccentricity. You'll like the fresh, clean apple, citrus, peach, spice and tropical fruit notes, and the acids are brilliant. They etch their way into the palate, underscoring the fruity flavors.."

"Medium-light yellow; attractive, floral, spicy, honeysuckle and ripe peach aroma with hints of vanilla and apricot; medium-full body; rich, fleshy, lemony, vanilla-laced, ripe tropical fruit and apricot flavors with a creamy, rounded mouth feel; lingering aftertaste. Highly recommended."

"Spices of any kind have a notoriously difficult relationship with wine. The fiery ones tend to deaden the palate, while the sweet ones can rob a wine of its fruit. Reds end up tasting too tannic and whites too acidic. The Indian-spiced chicken salad also poses the perennial problem of finding a wine that can stand up to salad dressing; the acidity can strip the wine of its flavors. (A further challenge here is counter balancing the sweetness of the papaya, port and cashews.) The solution? Make sure the wine you serve has fruit and richness to spare. My first choice is a white made from the exotic Viognier grape. Its rich, floral, perfumed flavor is the perfect foil for the salad, and the 1999 Bonterra from Mendocino County, California, is a particularly fine example. Made from organic grapes, it has a wonderfully expressive apricot character." —Robert Joseph

"Showcases Viognier's exotic, flowery side, with strong aromas of honeysuckle and jasmine accented with citrus fruits and peaches, coconut, and smoke and vanilla. There's lots of extract, and it veers to stone fruits, especially peaches. It's very light and elegant, and slightly sweet. This wine would be perfect with grilled trout." Editors' Choice