Vintage 2004

One of my favorite comments from people who taste Conundrum for the first time is “I’ve never tasted a white wine like this before.”   Our goal in creating this wine was to make a unique blend, and Conundrum’s distinctive character has met that test now for 16 vintages.

The “puzzle” of Conundrum—we never reveal its exact composition—comes in part from the range of grape varieties we use, in part from where and how the grapes are grown, and in part from the way we treat each vineyard lot in winemaking before making the final blend. 

Conundrum is truly a California wine, including grapes from the Napa, Monterey, Santa Barbara and Tulare counties. Our Sauvignon Blanc came from the Napa Valley, where the weather was warm enough to bring out this grape’s green-melon-like character at one vineyard site and its fresh-cut-grass character at another site. We harvested Sauvignon Blanc from August 11 thorough September 3.  The next grapes to ripen were Muscat Canelli, from warm Tulare County, harvested from August 25 through September 13.  Muscat is the grape that gives Conundrum its high-toned, floral aroma, along with some equally floral, cool-climate Viognier we grew in Monterey County and harvested from September 20 through October 11. We also grew most of our Chardonnay and other varietals in Monterey County, one of the coolest, driest growing regions in California.  The long season there—we harvested Chardonnay through November 18—allows the grapes to develop deeply ripe flavors and golden color while retaining great natural acidity.

Because we wanted to maintain the individual character of each grape variety from each vineyard site, we chose to ferment about one-quarter of the lots in stainless steel (to maintain freshness and crispness).  For complexity and texture, we fermented and aged most of the wines, three-quarters, in oak barrels, some new and some seasoned, for up to ten months.  When it was time to put the blend together, we had almost sixty different flavor layers to work with.

I believe this vintage shows an exceptional integration of these layers, with  aromas of peach/apricot, honeysuckle, and lemon/lime zest; flavors of apricot, green melon and pear backed by a notes of tropical fruit and spicy vanilla; a lush, creamy texture; and a crisp, balancing finish with lingering notes of citrus.

I am happy to say that our decision to bottle Conundrum with a twist-top has had a very positive response.  As winemaker and someone who insists on wines without faults, I believe this closure is the right tool to protect the aromas and flavors we worked to achieve in the vineyards and the winery.

Jon Bolta
Winemaker/Production Director

Released October 2005
Suggested retail Price: $24
Suggested serving temperature: Lightly chilled