Our first releases of the 2008 harvest are in the bottle and represent what may be our best wines yet from GEV’s two estate vineyards.  Great wines begin in the vineyard and an ideal summer growing season in 2008 with mild temperatures produced excellent quality fruit; followed by perfect seasonal weather during harvest.  The 2008 Viognier and Vin de Glace are some of the finest wines we have produced from these varietals.

2008 Viognier

The 2008 Viognier is a classic example of this sturdy and elegant Rhone varietal.  The grapes are hand picked from our estate vineyard in Palisade and then attentively handled at every step during the winemaking process.  Using whole cluster fermentation enhances the rich, tropical fruit tones on the nose and in combination with the low acidity of Viognier, produces a rich and aromatic white wine.  This limited release wine is exclusively sold through the winery and to our Cellar Master Wine Club members.  Viognier is a wonderful pairing with shellfish of all kinds and seafood in general.

2008 Vin de Glace

We knew topping our exquisite 2007 Vin de Glace dessert wine would be daunting, but thanks to the fabulous 2008 harvest we have done it!  The arrival of our 2008 Vin de Glace, produced in the classic Ice wine style, is nothing short of triumphant.  Made from the rare Muscat Ottonel clone, this wine is unbelievably aromatic and has excellent balance between sweetness and acidity.  It is certainly one of our most popular wines for a very good reason--try it and find out what all the excitement is about.

2007 Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc has become one of our signature wines at Garfield Estates.  Admittedly, when we started the winery almost 10 years ago, it was never our intention to make this wine a mainstay but we quickly fell in love with its potential in our climate.  A consistent winner since our first release in 2002, Garfield Estates Cabernet Franc is always a favorite of the critics.  Indeed, this release is a very elegant and polished wine.  Cabernet Franc is much more of a medium bodied wine than its more tannic cousin, Cabernet Sauvignon.  The soft tannins, subtle fruit and oak integration are reminiscent of a fine, young Bordeaux.  The 2007 Cabernet Franc is fruit forward and has a long and complex finish; very representative of the potential this grape offers in our vineyard and region.