2007 tangent Viogner, Edna Valley

where pure flavor and alternative varietals intersect
The tangent name was conceived after months of laborious consideration. Literally meaning “a departure from the ordinary,” tangent is meant to convey a commitment to white wines other than the mainstream that is Chardonnay.  Made to be enjoyed with food, tangent wines are backed with lively acidity and highlight pure varietal fl avors. There are no oak barrels associated with any of the wines, nor is there a need for malo-lactic fermentation. Clean varietal expression is a tangent imperative.

Exotic grapes are not the only defining feature of the tangent line. Roguenant says that compared with what has become standard for California whites, all the tangent wines have lower alcohol levels, higher acidity, greater minerality and more varietal specificity. That means food-friendly wines that have distinct flavor profiles.

Niven's family has been growing grapes in Edna Valley for 35 years and started making wine there in 1977.  The Niven family's success with the Baileyana wines, Heimoff says, is the reason he isn't surprised that it's on the cutting edge with tangent. "They've been on the forefront of viticulture and enology in this region at their Paragon Vineyard. They are always going to exceed expectations." The 1,220-acre Paragon Vineyard offered Niven and Blaney plenty of room to experiment.

Watch a Short Video from tangent

Paragon Vineyard
A block of newer plantings (16 acres) in the Paragon Vineyard of the Edna Valley on the Central Coast of California is the sole source of fruit for the tangent Viognier. Benefiting from the cold ocean breezes and thick morning fog that burns off to allow bright afternoon sun, Edna Valley has the perfect microclimate for the tangent wine lineup. It is one of the coolest viticultural areas in the world. Fruit here ripens fully without the high sugar content that results in high alcohol levels, retaining its natural acidity.  The cool influence of the Pacific only four miles to the left, this vineyard is afforded one of the longest growing seasons in the state. Soils here are a mixture of volcanic, clay loam and rocky marine sediment, offering few nutrients. The temperate climate brings extended hang time, and the soils cause the vines to stress and strain as they grow. These two factors ultimately culminate in fully ripe, concentrated fruit that bursts with flavor.

tangent Viognier
The fruit for this wine is grown in the famed Paragon Vineyard of the Edna Valley on the Central Coast of California. Planted by winegrower pioneer Jack Niven in the early 1970s, this was one of the first vineyards in the region. The vineyard is now in the capable hands of the second and third Niven generation. They realized the need to keep step with the ever-changing wine marketplace, and have planted a few new varietals in recent years. Viognier is one of them. As the growing season here is lengthened as a result of the temperate climate, and the nearby Pacific Ocean provides a marine influence, Viognier enjoys the same Mediterranean climate as in the Rhône Valley of France.  Viognier fits nicely into the tangent line-up, as it is a vibrant white varietal whose pure characteristics stand out nicely without any need of oak influence. Additionally, it is nice to sip on its own, and is also a great match with many foods.

Winemaker Christian Roguenant
tangent wines are made by veteran winemaker Christian Roguenant, who brings more than 20 years of winemaking experience, encompassing many countries and five continents. Born in Burgundy and educated in Dijon, Christian cut his winemaking teeth on Champagne, then California sparkling wine. In this process, grapes are picked at higher acid levels than for traditional wines, and fermented in stainless steel. Oak influence is not generally used, and the finished still wines are fresh and crisp with solid acid structure. These still wines are then blended and bottled with a dosage added to create effervescence. Christian enjoyed the still wines before blending so much that he would set aside enough to bottle and pour at his own table each vintage. When John and Michael approached him about their tangent idea, he was immediately on-board and eager to get started.

Tasting Notes

If you didn’t know this wine was from California, you’d swear it was from France’s Rhone region..

Winemaker Christian Roguenant describes the 2007 tangent Viognier as “a rare example of cool-climate Viognier. It shows off the flavors of the Northern Rhone more than most California Viogniers that tend toward the more lush, tropical side.”  “Our second vintage of viognier again exhibits classic cool-climate characteristics, but is not a typical California viognier. It has a vibrant floral nose, and an elegant note of fresh white almond. With intense fruit flavors of peach, apricot and pear, it has a musky quality to it, and a round body.  “The wine sports a nice, tight mineral structure with higher acid,”

Aromas: notes of flowers, apricot, peach, pear and white almond.
Body: round
Color: yellow
Fermentation 100% Stainless Steel ferment at 55 degrees for 47 days
Barrel contact: zero
Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: screwcap
Production:  460cases

Sustainability in Practice (SIP) Vineyard Certification
Some on the practices used at Paragon Vineyards

Water Conservation: 
All drip irrigation amounts are based on evapotranspiration so as to deliver the proper amount of water to the vines each week, avoiding over-watering.
Energy Conservation and Efficiency: 
In order to reduce time, use of fuel, and compaction of the soil, up to four tasks are performed by tractor equipment in one pass.
Pest Management: 
Predators are introduced to naturally combat problem pests, like the mealybug destroyer, whenever possible. Use of Category 1 pesticides has been virtually eliminated, and raptor boxes are in place to encourage owls and hawks to hunt for rodent pests.

Sources: Los Angeles Times, Corrie Brown, tangent website, WinetasteTV

Alban Vineyards 2006 Roussanne, Edna Valley

Known for Rhone obsession, Alban Vineyards was the first winery in the U.S. to focus only on Rhone varietals and owner John Alban was one of the first proponents of Rhone varietals in California. Located in the Edna Valley AVA in San Louis Obispo County. Alban specializes in Syrah, Grenache, Marsanne, Viognier and Roussanne.


"John Alban of Alban Vineyards is by any and all measures a pioneer of Rhône-styled wines in California, particularly Viognier. He established his Alban Vineyards brand, the first in America to specialize in Rhône varietals, in 1989... Almost none of the Rhône varieties he wanted to plant existed in California. Alban spent years propagating vines and then planting them in Edna Valley, a cool appellation just outside of San Luis Obispo. He felt it was a great site, especially for Viognier. John Alban the pioneer, has become John Alban, the spiritual leader, and even the “Johnny Appleseed” of the movement. Rhône varieties are now flourishing in California, thanks in great part to a man who wouldn’t settle for only chocolate and vanilla...." Gregory Walter   See more from WineCountry.com

Nearly all Roussanne cuttings in California, Washington and Oregon are descendents of those brought in by John Alban or Tablas Creek.... Roussanne (in the words of John Alban) "tends to be a rollercoaster". It varies often widely depending on where it's grown and where it is in its life cycle. And it's a polarizing wine; different people will love and hate the same wine. This makes it more of a challenge.... The first large tasting of American Roussannes, in 1998 at the Hospice du Rhone, was notable ... as the wines were "as different as they were fascinating". Read more from the 2008 Roussanne Symposium
Varietal Roussanne is a much rarer beast; it is more typically an ingredient in a southern French blend. Chateau de Beaucastel in Chateauneuf-du-Pape has long favoured it and pioneered it as a varietal in a stunning oaked version from some particularly old vines. Roussanne is also scented, with something more akin to lime and blossom than richer fruits, but usually has much less body than Viognier. Blending it with the much plumper Marsanne, as has long been common in Hermitage, gives it ballast.
Roussanne, Viognier and Marsanne all come from the Rhône Valley, but until the late 1980s Viognier was grown almost exclusively around the village of Condrieu in the northern Rhône. Roussanne is grown in the northern but especially southern Rhône and Provence.jancisrobinson.com

In 1989, John Alban began planting vineyards on his 250 acre property. From this fruit, John Alban makes aromatically complex and explosively rich wines. He works entirely with fruit from his own material planted on chalk-rich hillside vineyards open to cooling sea breezes. The wines have exotic yet varietaly accurate character and and creamy sweetness to provide immediate pleasure, but have the balance and structure to age.

Body:  Full 
Blend:  75% Roussanne, 25% Viognier
Case Production:  450 cases

POINTS
91 points Robert Parker: "The 2006 Roussanne Estate, which includes 25% Viognier in the blend, is a heavier, more waxy style of white wine that appears to possess some tannin. As this varietal often does, this full-bodied effort comes across as a “love it or leave it” wine. I happen to adore this style, but their aging curve is almost impossible to predict. I recommend drinking these Roussannes on the earlier rather than later side. This offering would drink beautifully with fatty fish or grilled chicken dishes as it almost has the weight, richness, and structure of a dry red wine. Alban’s decision to add 25% Viognier to the blend has given the wine more complexity as well as a slightly uplifting character." (06/08)

91 points Wine Spectator: "Wonderfully fragrant, with cedar and pine notes to the passion fruit, marmalade and floral honeysuckle flavors. Full-bodied and nicely juicy, with fantastic intensity. Drink now through 2012." (4.30.09)

Eat with: pan-roasted black cod, yellow corn, fingerling potatoes, savoy cabbage & black truffle emulsion.