The Vintners Voice

Bloom began early in the week of June 8^th and appears to have concluded sometime over this past weekend. Though a bit early to say for sure, it appears as if fruit set was good. Cluster size looks quite large so we should have plenty of fruit, much of which will end up on the ground after a green harvesting.

Bloom this year came about 2 weeks earlier than the last couple of vintages putting the potential picking window somewhere in late September to early October; if we respect the old burgundian rule of picking 100 days post bloom. The more experience I get the more I believe the rule. 100 days seems to be the minimum amount of time it takes to get fruit to the point of physiologically mature and tasting great.

The advantage to a late September pick is that it greatly increases the chances of getting fruit off before the inevitable autumn rains arrive. I also think there is a possible disadvantage, though I am sure many of my peers would disagree. The style of Pinot I most enjoy is the result of slow ripening, developing concentration and intensity on a lighter and more elegant frame (at moderate alcohol levels). To this end I believe that the last three weeks of ripening are the most crucial and the weather at this time can have a tremendous impact on wine style. In the later half of October I can be almost certain that we will enjoy moderate temperatures with very cool nights. Late September can still be quite warm and the nights less cool, rapidly advancing ripening.

In Oregon we must balance two opposing desires; the desire to pull our fruit from the vineyards dry and without the dilution caused by rains and the desire to have grapes ripen slowly, evenly and completely. I for one will take the risk of rain head on and prefer to have grapes ripen slowly during the cool, short days of October instead of potentially warmer days and nights of September. I know other growers feel very differently, we all have our own ideas about what constitutes the perfect vintage.

One unique thing about bloom this year is that, at Patton Valley Vineyard at least, it took nearly two weeks to finish. That means that on a given cluster there could be up to a two week difference in age from one berry to another. This could lead to some very uneven ripening. Good vineyard management, early leaf pulling and meticulous fruit thinning, can minimize some of this risk. Regardless, it will require winemakers to be very careful in their picking decisions. In winemaking knowledge is power and knowing now that some of these issues might arise allows me to make better decisions in the vineyard. My potential success as a winemaker is dependent upon my being a successful vineyard manager first.

Already the 2009 vintage is looking as if it is going to have its own unique set of challenges. I revel in the opportunity to overcome them; god I love this job!