2006
The 2006 Oregon growing season started late and wet but offered great weather for flowering setting the largest crop that we have seen in a few years with abundant but not large clusters. A gorgeous summer heated dramatically in June and July, but cooled appreciably in August to begin a soft slow slide into harvest. The Willamette Valley heated up again pushing the small berries into overdrive and launching an early harvest for Pinot noir. Whites benefited from some cooling and a bit of rain taking their time to retain beautiful acid/ripeness balance.
2005
Cold, wet weather made for a late budbreak and flowering with shatter that translated into low yields for the second year in a row. Mildew threatened into July with a cooler summer than normal. It turned hotter towards the end of August and the beginning of September but picking did not begin until October. It was then interrupted by a bit of rain and cold but finished gloriously well into November under beautiful skies. These ended up being some of the best wines we have seen for years.
2004
The 2004 vintage was anything but typical. The spring was early and warm. However, rain during flowering resulted in the worst shatter Oregon has experienced for years bringing very low yields, about half of normal. A hot summer seemed to promise an early harvest and for a small portion it did before the weather turned cold and rainy. Luckily the rain did not last that long and we were able to harvest well into October under beautiful skies. The wines from this vintage will be classical Oregon.
2003
The 2003 vintage was the most interesting harvest since 1997. The growing season can be summed up with one word: hot. Spring was warm so that budbreak and flowering progressed unimpeded to yield an abundant crop. Summer brought hot weather that lasted through most of harvest, which was accelerated by a hot east wind. Higher elevations and older vineyards ripened more slowly but generally harvest came on quickly. The clusters were perfect with more tropical and mango notes than normal. The slight dehydration of the grapes made for more concentrated flavors and, most importantly, an underlying ripe acidity making for a tremendous vintage.
2002
The 2002 vintage was blessed with a faultless growing season that carried into a beautiful harvest. The fine weather at harvest not only allowed the grapes to be picked when they achieved a brilliant amount of sugar but also when the flavors and tannins had become truly physiologically ripe. Healthy, concentrated, and thick-skinned, the clusters were incredible. All over Oregon the 2002 vintage was near perfect and will certainly be remembered as one of the best in the history of this relatively new area of Oregon viticulture.