FROM VINE CLIFF WINEMAKER JOHN WILSON: IT SHOULD BE A GOOD YEAR!
Temperatures this growing season have been more moderate than some of the recent vintages and the forecast doesn’t look like it will stray from that.
So far we are tracking with 2012, which was a great year. After running baseline analysis on grape samples from our Carneros Chardonnays it appears we will begin picking the week of September 10th. A full three weeks later than 2017. In Oakville things are tracking more closely to 2017. Barring a record breaking heat wave we should begin picking red Bordeaux varieties the week of September 24th.
Yields are looking much better than last year. We had great weather during bloom which translates to more flowers converting into berries. The ripening has been uniform so we required minimal fruit thinning at veraison.
These conditions are perfect for tannin and flavor development. It should be a good year!