Vintage Update
As a follow up to my “Vintners Dilemma” post I thought I would give everyone a Willamette Valley vintage update.
As far as crop load goes I decided to go with my gut and assume that the vintage would turn cool and potentially wet. I thinned most of the vineyard to a single cluster per shoot. In some blocks this is still more than 2.5 tons to the acre.
Low and behold weather has cooled and the last three days have seen showers. Let me emphasize SHOWERS. Not down pours, not three days of consistent rain but a typical, slow Oregon drizzle that lasts 15 minutes and are followed by wind and sun. I have to be clear about the nature of rainfall here or all of the wine writers, which never really visit here during vintage, will misconstrue the events and hastily damn the vintage before grapes are even picked.
Nights have cooled considerably as have days and it is really the diurnal variation that makes Oregon, in general, and Patton Valley Vineyard, specifically, such an interesting place to work with. As the temperature extremes widen from day to night, ripening slows down. It is my belief that it is this slow ripening that produces Pinot Noir with the finest structure, complexity, concentration and intensity of fruit.
It is still to early to, at this point, make any declarations about the vintage (or else I run the risk of being like those wine writers). However, from my point of view I would say optimism is growing with each cool and relatively dry day.
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3 Comments
Reader Comments (3)
Jerry
I agree 100% with your premise here: I can't begin to count the times where I have seen the character of a region's vintage completely misrepresented in print (and in other media).
That kind of shoddy reporting is, unfortunately, par for the course these days...
I certainly don't want to damn all writers or publications. I think when you look at it certain regions get exhaustive reporting in terms of vintage analysis.
As as an actual Red Headed Step Child I can say that Oregon is very much treated in that manner by National and International media outlets. We are a small region and though I think it would be great to have reporters actually visit the region during harvest, I don't really expect it to happen.
All we can do, as an Industry, is continue to face the challenges of each vintage, make great wines, and hope that consumers hold us in higher regards that major wine publications do.
I have been on oenophile for the past 30 yrs. I recently visited Willamette during harvest and spent time at Youngberg Hill, Joe Dobbes and Maysara. The dedication and devotion that these winemakers showed gave me a greater appreciation for the Oregon Pinot that I so love.I hope that you will continue this dedication to making great wine and I will do my part as consumer to enlighten all my wine friends to the great Pinot that you so passionately craft