Conundrum 2007
Conundrum began, from the 1989 vintage, with the goal of capturing a specific aroma - the haunting, spicy-floral scent of Muscat - and creating an entirely new flavour of wine by combining this sensation with those of other, equally individualistic white wine grapes in a completely nontraditional way. Each year, in making the Conundrum blend, they start with as many as sixty distinctive lots of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sèmillon, Viognier and Muscat. And each year, these multiple layers come together in Conundrum's signature flavour, while the natural variations of each new vintage lend their subtle shadings to the wine.

In 2007, the climate differences in the areas where the grapes for Conundrum are grown were as apparent as usual, so the harvest rolled in waves across the regions. In the Napa Valley, the source of the Sauvignon Blanc, a warm season allowed the fruit to develop its fullest, most aromatic and melon-like character. The Muscat, from Tulare County, attained an almost tropical lushness and orange-blossom aroma in the warm-to-hot climate of that area. In Monterey County, source of the Chardonnay, Sèmillon and Viognier, the weather remained warm in the daytime, and cool by night, virtually throughout the long growing year, so those grapes were harvested late in the season. Harvest there stretched into the first part of November, giving elegant, beautifully balanced flavours in all three of these varieties.

This range of grape varietals and weather conditions gave natural layers of aroma and flavour from the moment the grapes were pressed . Then the wine's complexity was increased even more by varying the maturation process. One-quarter of the lots remained in stainless steel to retain freshness, while the remaining three-quarters saw some oak aging. For each of these separate wine lots, the type and age of oak barrel (some French, some American), the amount of time in barrel (up to ten months for some lots), and the amount of malolactic fermentation they allowed differed. In the end, they had the broad palette desired for this wine, sixty different layers to work with: aromas of apricot, white peach and honeysuckle; flavours of citrus, green melon, pear and vanilla; a creamy, mouth-filling texture; and a crisp, refreshing citrus end-note.

Since the 2004 vintage, they have chosen to bottle Conundrum with a twist-top - a closure that is as untraditional, and perhaps as adventurous, as the wine. The twist top is the perfect tool to protect the fresh, fruity, bright flavours attained in the vineyard and maintained in the winery.

While carrying on Conundrum's signature taste profile, this vintage is marked by heightened notes of pears, honeysuckle and vanilla in its aromas, an especially lush, creamy texture, and a lemony finish that balances the wine's core flavours of tropical fruits, peach/apricot and green melon.