2005 Incognito

Not being exactly sure of what I was getting into when I purchased this wine, I was drawn to the name of the winemakers; David and Michael Phillips. I recall seeing the Phillips name as one to watch out for in a recent edition of Wine Spectator, so when I saw it in my local store, I decided to give it a whirl. Unfortunately, I had already prepared a New York strip steak to go along with my wine selection before I actually opened the bottle and poured a taste. After doing so, I was glad to have had some brie and crackers on hand to pair with the wine. The wine didn't match up to well with my seared peppercorn strip, but overall, it was a well-blended wine of primarily Rhone varietals, particularly Syrah, Mourvedre, Petite Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Petit Verdot, Grenache, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. Originally this wine was thought to be a Roussanne, until DNA testing proved it to be a rare clone of Viognier. Winemaker's notes:

Flambéed pear and honeysuckle aromas open up into flavors of passion fruit, green apple and a lingering dried apricot finish.

This wine was awarded "Best Rhone in the World" as a Roussanne at the 2000 Los Angeles International Wine Competition. However, using DNA testing, U.C. Davis later determined that this unique grape is a rare clone of Viognier that mysteriously appeared in California during the past decade and is not, in fact, a Roussanne after all.

The phantom clone originated somewhere in the Chateauneuf du Pape region of the Rhone Valley in France, then mistakenly sold to the grower - the talented Mr. Ripkin - as Roussanne, who, finally, sold the resulting grapes to Michael~David Vineyards. The rest is history!

Incognito's grapes are grown in the Ripken Vineyard, east of the Carquinez Straits in the Sacramento River Delta region of California. Warm days and cool evenings - reminiscent of the clone's native Rhone Valley - produce the powerful and intense fruit with a sultry body that characterizes this wine, making it unlike any other Viognier.

Amazingly smooth; will purchase again and pair accordingly.