Viansa '22 Potter Valley Altura Arneis

At 1,000 feet elevation, Potter Valley has cooler weather than neighboring AVAs in Mendocino. This wine is a wonderful example of how the cooler weather concentrates and heightens aromatics. Our 2022 Arneis shows similarities to the 2021 vintage with bright lemon, yellow peaches, citrus blossoms, and almond husk. The wine expands on the palate with a rich entry balanced by a dry minerality, and flavors of starfruit, pear, chamomile, and slight, but rich, oak. Try this bright white with chicken piccata or raw oysters with a red wine vinegar mignonette.

Grapes were harvested in the early morning and arrived to the winery cold. The whole clusters went direct to press and were gently pressed to maximize juice extraction and minimize skin and seed tannins. A hyper-oxidation technique was used to reduce phenolic content and make a long-aging white wine. As a side note, Arneis naturally has a higher phenolic content than “California” whites (which can be seen in some Arneis as bitterness or nuttiness). After the juice was saturated with oxygen, it was cold settled until the turbidity was under 100 NTU, and then racked off the heavy solids and oxidized phenolics. Then, the juice was inoculated with VL1 yeast and fermented in tank. Once the wine completed fermentation, malo-lactic fermentation was inhibited and the wine was aged in oak (20% new French) for eight months. 

Label Artwork: The pale golden color of the Arneis grape, as well as the floral aromas and flavors of pear, white peach, apricot, and almond that are typical of Arneis, serve as the inspiration for this light and vibrant piece.