The 2006 Metier Blanc is 90% Viognier and 10% Roussanne, also raised in stainless steel. The aromas deliver notes of peach and apricot and the flavors are pleasant but, overall, the wine is slightly lean and lacking concentration. Viognier is a challenging grape and it is just as difficult to find top examples in Washington as it is any place outside of Condrieu. Doyenne is the sister label of DeLille Cellars, with the Rhone varieties all bottled under the Doyenne name. They are reviewed separatelywww.delillecellars.com

The Metier White is a sleek, assertive and racy white wine that does not fall into the flavor ranks of most Washington Viognier, though that is 90% of the blend. The rest is Roussanne, which adds notes of Meyer lemon. The wine is clean and crisp, well-defined with flavors of citrus and green herb. It is built upon vibrant acids rather than barrel flavors, and in a blind tasting it might pass for a somewhat salty (rather than peppery) Gruner Veltliner.——P.G.(5/1/2008)—— 89