In two quite distinct yet successful Syrah growing regions—Côte Rôtie and the Barossa Valley—Viognier was blended with Syrah to great affect. On the steeply terraced hills of Ampuis, Viognier was first co-planted with Syrah when locals noted that Viognier ripened to a higher degree of sugar, lending the wine more body and texture. In the mid-1990s in South Australia a small number of vintners began experimenting with the two varieties for a different reason. In that fairly hot region, Syrah can be a bit one dimensional. A touch of aromatic Viognier lends a welcome “lift” and complexity. In blending these two varieties here in the Dry Creek Valley I sought the integration that comes with co-fermentation. With very ripe Syrah to start with, I did not need the added boost of sugar from the Viognier. Since most of the aromatic compounds of Viognier come from the skins, I took dry Viognier skins that had already been pressed and crushed the Syrah on top of them. The two weeks of fermentation filled the cellar with exotic aromas of apricots and blackberries. After six months in barrel and a full year in a 600-gallon oak foudre, we bottled the wine unfined and unfiltered.