After a cold winter with high snowfall, the growing season got off to a slower start compared to seasonal averages. True bud break took place during the first week of May; slightly later than seasonal averages. In contrast, the summer was hotter than average and sunny days made up for the late spring.
Although smoke haze from regional fires was present during parts of summer, it actually mitigated hot temperatures. The result was a slowing of the ripening phase, preventing sugar from accumulating too quickly over such a hot period. Smoke taint was a concern for some areas of the valley, however, we saw no influence on our wines. Overall our crop was slightly lower than average, leading to beautifully concentrated wines with great pedigree and ageability.
