Lot 633
2025 Santa Barbara County Viognier 12-bottle case

***BOTTLING EARLY OCTOBER, SHIPPING SHORTLY AFTER***

Our readers continue to impress.

On a recent visit to Santa Maria Valley, we’d just finished tasting the gem that became Lot 618 before driving a few minutes down the road to an appointment at another renowned address. Going through their lineup, we found ourselves enamored by one particular standout – a 100% Viognier whose fruit was drawn from a vineyard considered nothing less than foundational for the entire region. It was sheer pleasure to taste such a memorable example of this scarce, intense grape, but just how much appetite was there for more off-the-beaten-path whites from an area we don’t tap very often? Promising to be in touch shortly, we shook hands and headed home.

After a flood of enthusiasm sold out Lot 618 in a day, we had our answer. Clearly, folks are hungry for something special and different in this style! We made good on that promise and picked up the phone…

Lot 633 is a single-vineyard 100% Viognier from one of the Central Coast’s pioneering sites that’s among the finest cool-climate vineyards in the state. Produced by a winemaking team that’s made the “best of” lists at practically every major publication, their long-established mastery working with Rhône grapes could not be more apparent, allowing the world-class terroir to absolutely soar. Beyond the varietal’s signature heady aromatics, there’s a fine acidity and balance only the best selections possess. We agreed to declassify the label region to Santa Barbara County to protect their program and drive a more aggressive price, which means this remarkable find you’d be lucky to fetch at $45+/bottle is now available to our readers for barely $13. That’s over 70% OFF, and less than a single glass of wine just about anywhere these days before tax and tip.

Our price: $159/case DELIVERED, $13+/bottle to your door!

The cellar work on display is as restrained as the site is dramatic. No oak, no lees stirring, nothing borrowed to prop up a texture the fruit builds on its own – concentration alone does the structural work, and the focus stays fixed on sense of place. Viognier’s rare combination of full body, floral perfume, and supple acidity makes it supremely versatile at the table. This one will be a mainstay at ours for a while, and it already has a standing invitation to show off at Thanksgiving.

Immediate notes of apricot, honeysuckle, and ginger lure you in, and before you know it, layers of jasmine, white peach, and nectarine have revealed themselves as well. Creamy on the palate without ever feeling heavy, a wave of stone fruits, white florals, and lemon oils abound while medium+ acidity and striking structure provide the frame. The finish is long and aromatic; citrus and a subtle spice shift into ripples of vanilla blossoms and jasmine, exiting beside lingering stone fruits. Superb.