VINEYARD NOTES

The 2017 vintage started out with a cool, wet winter, with significantly above average snowfall in eastern Washington. Going into spring, the cool trend continued.  We thought we might have cool growing season on our hands. As a result, bud break in 2017 was behind historical averages and significantly behind the most recent warm vintages of 2013-2015. Bloom was also slightly delayed by about a week. The early part of summer saw average temperatures followed by above average temperatures in July and August. As a result, heat accumulation was a bit above average for the season (3050 GDD), despite the cool start. Harvest started about a week earlier than normal.  In the second half of September, temperatures cooled considerably, which delayed ripening.  This was not a bad thing as it slowed sugar accumulation and allowed flavors to develop nicely while retaining good acid levels.  Overall, we are very pleased with this vintage and I would rate the quality as very high.

WINEMAKER NOTES

Fermentation: Fruit picked in the morning, crushed and sent directly into open top fermenters. Cap was punched down by hand two times a day until dry. After pressing wine was transferred to barrels to complete primary and Malolactic fermentation.