Don's Gillette's Weekly Wine Blog
Weekly musings from our store's resident wine guru
Don has over thirty years experience in the wine industry. For the last eighteen years his attention has been focused on the growing local industry. Don has a large following of customers who search out his opinions (never in short supply!) on new releases and on what's currently most distinctive on our shelves. Others seek his insights on wineries and trends that are still under the radar. Check back here each week for Don's latest thoughts on various wine-related topics. Read Don's full bio...
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Shattering Events
After four consecutive outstanding harvests, no one in Northern California expected 2008 to be number five. It doesn't work that way, and Mother Nature did her best to remind us. Here is Michael Benziger's description of how the vintage panned out through the summer in Sonoma and elsewhere. Early this October, looking back on the year, he wrote:
"It has been a vintage of extremes. We've had the coldest winter and worst frosts in 40 years. Not to mention the driest weather in memory, so dry that California wildfires roared back in May, causing smoke damage to some of the grapes north of us in Lake and Mendocino Counties. Last week, temperatures climbed over 107 F here in Glen Ellen. Three days later, the frost alarms went off."
I spoke to many Napa winemakers this summer and optimism was on the run there as well. If I asked how things were going, I might get a reply along these lines:
"Well, shatter kept the crop small, so it will probably ripen and at least won't be watery, but that certainly doesn't guarantee that '08 will produce fine wines."
Shatter, bye the way, refers to the loss of small, newly formed berries from the vine. Unusually cold or wet weather, poor pollination and other problems are among its causes. It is easy to spot in the vineyard (lots of missing grapes in the clusters) and was common in 2008.
But this is California...
Well guess what: optimism is on the rise. By early October Mike Benziger was able to add:
"With these radical conditions, you wonder whether man or grape will survive. And then: A surprise. This time around, it was mostly for the good! Amazingly, some of our most delicate varieties have pulled through this schizophrenic weather with excellent quality."
And:
"We finished harvesting Chards on October 1. They were some of the best grapes we've harvested in years, and we're anticipating exceptional quality from the wines as well."
And:
"While we lost a couple of lots of Pinot to the heat, the remaining grapes from our Bella Luna, de Coelo and other deep-coastal vineyards produced dramatic wines, perhaps some of the most distinctive, elegant and powerful Pinots we have ever made."
In Cabernet Country
I spoke to Mike Benzer this morning and he told me that Benziger didn't begin their Sonoma Mountain Cabernet harvest until October 15th, when much of Napa's Cab was already in the tank. Extensive "grooming" was required in his Cab vineyards to remove heat-damaged fruit before picking began. The result was a 35% to 40% drop in production, but fruit he describes as exceptional. The grape clusters (after 2 years of drought) were loose and the berries small. The color and extraction are spectacular, although it will take careful winemaking to keep the tannins under control.
I have spoken to several Napa Winemakers in the last week or so and they are also sounding much happier. Although there is still some Napa Cab unpicked, what is coming in thus far looks, at least to many producers, excellent. Mike plans to finish picking his Cabernet Thursday morning. He says that a big storm is due Thursday night, so we may well be at the end of the harvest.
Who Knows, maybe 2008 will somehow also stumble into success!