Vivier The Other Ranch Riesling Anderson Valley 2024

Proprietor and Winemaker, Stéphane Vivier, learned his laissez-faire method of winemaking while growing up at the feet of an elderly neighbor whose family had been making wine for centuries in Meloisey, Burgundy.  His skills were then cultivated in the vineyards and cellars of Pommard, Meursault, and Chassagne-Montrachet.  After obtaining degrees in viticulture and enology from the Université de Bourgogne in Dijon, he moved on to work harvests in Switzerland, Sonoma and New Zealand.  In 2002 he moved to Napa to become the winemaker at Hyde de Villaine in Carneros, under the tutelage of the great Burgundian winemaker, Aubert de Villaine, the co-owner of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (which is considered to be one of the world's greatest Pinot Noir producers as well as the world's most expensive).  Stéphane’s wife Dana, whose love for wine began in eastern Washington’s emerging wine country while attending college in Walla Walla, spent a year studying at La Sorbonne in Paris which gave her fluency in French and a deep appreciation for leisurely meals with friends and great wine.  After her postgraduate study at UC Davis, Dana landed a job working for an investment management company that specialized in high-end vineyards, which relocated her to Napa.  Shortly thereafter, she met Stéphane, and it wasn’t long before the two realized that they belonged together.  

Stéphane and Dana launched their brand back in 2009 right after the two were married. Dana suggested that Stéphane make wine under his own label, considering that he had grown up literally running through the vineyards of Burgundy.  He asked her, “Where will the money come from?”  And she told him, “Don’t worry.  This is America.”  That same year they started Vivier with a handful of maxed out credit cards and just 30 cases of wine. Today, still incredibly small in production, Vivier’s bottlings have grown to become sought after and cherished by sommeliers and wine lovers looking for joyful, food friendly wines made from the heart.  

While Pinot Noir is Stéphane's bread and butter, this one-off Riesling was made in honor of his Alsatian grandmother.  In keeping with that tradition, it is lean, dry, and racy, putting its acidity on a pedestal first and foremost.  The small vineyard is just outside Boonville in Anderson Valley and was planted over 30 years ago.  With the cooler climate in Anderson Valley, the Riesling hangs on the vine longer and ripens fully while maintaining acidity in the grapes.  

"Bright and luminous in the glass. The aromas are driven by fresh lemon-lime zest with white florals, crushed limestone, and candied ginger. The mouthfeel is electric, with lychee and white peach on a bed of citrus, featuring vibrant acidity and a lasting, laser-like finish. Drink now–2030." Wine Access tasting notes