Voix de la Vigne

2016 Vintage Summary

Similar to the last two vintages, the 2016 growing season continued to push the envelope for defining the new normal in Oregon as one of the earliest on record. An unusually warm spring gave way to moderate summer conditions, which provided even growing conditions through véraison. Though it was an intense growing season due to the early start, the fruit produced throughout the state resulted in wonderful concentra-tion and complexity with characteristic natural acidity.

The 2016 vintage saw practically immaculate fruit with few signs of disease, pest or bird effects. Vineyards and wineries in the Willamette Valley were largely finished with harvest by the end of September to early-October, while wineries in other regions carried on through 

mid-to-late October depending on the varieties planted. Because of the cooler temperatures in September and October, Growing Degree Days (GDD) accumulation in the western valleys ended up between the totals seen in 2013 and 2014. Lower GDD was also seen in eastern Oregon and Washington where the coolest conditions in the Pacific Northwest were experienced.

2016 Vintage Summary

Similar to the last two vintages, the 2016 growing season continued to push the envelope for defining the new normal in Oregon as one of the earliest on record. An unusually warm spring gave way to moderate summer conditions, which provided even growing conditions through véraison. Though it was an intense growing season due to the early start, the fruit produced throughout the state resulted in wonderful concentration and complexity with characteristic natural acidity. Bud break kicked off the vintage two to four weeks earlier than normal. A short heat spell at bloom condensed the flowering period, resulting in a smaller fruit set for most producers. Summer provided average conditions with fewer heat spikes than the 2014 or 2015 vintages, which led to smaller berry size and a higher concentration of flavors. Warmer than normal conditions in most areas in August shepherded along the early vintage and most vineyards started to harvest early ripening varieties during the last week of the month or early September.  100% malolactic fermentation occurred over a five month period. The wine was aged for eight months in French oak barrels from a variety of coopers. N: Cranberry, black cherry, citrus peel, clove, leather M: Medium body, supple tannins, juicy red and black fruits, savory notes 

2018 Vintage Summary

True Oregon summers don’t really set in until after the fourth of July, and when it arrived, it brought a steady dose of sunshine; the weather remained moderate and dry throughout the summer months. The ample hours of sun and warm temperatures mixed with cool breezy night helped shape 2018 in a fabulous vintage with a decent sized crop but with wonderfully concentrated flavors as the vines were stressed just enough by the heat to produce something beautiful.

From the wine-making side, what style of year it’s going to be (cool vs. warm) is often determined by the weather in the spring and early summer, while the quality of the vintage is not established until late summer/early fall. In 2018, with the threat of a few consecutive days of rain at the end of September, we began picking white wines in the third week of the month into early October. The Pinot Gris fruit was whole-cluster pressed immediately upon arrival at the cellar and the juice allowed to settle for 36 hours. The juice was then racked clean into stainless steel fermenters and underwent fermentation for three weeks at medium to low temperatures of between 60°F and 66°F. The wine was then filtered and bottled.