2023 Vintage
Winter brought us more water than usual, followed by an equally wet spring. Bud break was on April 30, with warm weather to follow and quick progression of the shoots. We had almost no measurable rainfall in May - though we maintained good soil moisture and the vines were happy. Things progressed quickly and evenly throughout May/June with bloom happening June 15th. Fruit set was uniform in the upper vineyard, while a little rain during bloom in the lower vineyard kept yields a little lower with quite a lot of concentration.
We had nice, even ripening for the remainder of the year with Veraison taking a little longer than expected and having a nice long hang time was excellent for development of flavors.
Vista Grande was picked starting September 19, beginning with the Triangle for sparkling wine. (Stay tuned - will be ready in 3 years or so…) Vista Grande picking was finished on September 23, minutes before the first rain of the fall. Perfect timing for this site. Always feels good to get the fruit off the vine at the last possible moment.
Gregory Ranch has historically been the first fruit that arrives at the vineyard - September 17 in 2023. Temperance Hill is usually last, being picked October 6, but was followed up by a new vineyard we are working with this year - Bieze Vineyard. Really great fruit that ended up coming on October 8. The late sites in the Eola-Amity Hills are always dodging rain, and I think the vines out there would be confused if we picked them before the rain. When the first pacific storm of the fall came off the coast, bringing considerable rain - the initial reaction was to panic. Once the rain starts in Oregon, there is always the chance that it doesn’t stop until April. So the panic is sometimes warranted. Looking at the forecast, there was a tremendous chance that there would be clear weather after the front passed, giving us time to let the vines even out their water content and keep developing the complex flavors we love from those sites. This is possible only because of how impeccably these two sites are farmed. Lesser growers would not have this luxury, but this is why we strive to work with great people.
Our biggest rule for business is to look for good opportunities, and then make good decisions. We found that with Bieze Vineyard this year. A text message from our friends at Arabilis connected me with Jerry Bieze, who had a little Pinot Blanc that his current buyers didn’t have room for. Only a ton, but it was worth it just for the connection to a very special place. Bieze is perched right up above Seven Springs Vineyard and Lingua Franca. We like those neighbors.
As we tidy up the cellar and put the barrels to rest for the winter, the wines are full of energy and structure and I can’t wait to see how they progress with time. I would liken them to the 2021 vintage, so if you were a fan of those wines, get ready to stock up on the ‘23s - if they go as fast as the 21s you’ll want a stockpile to keep around for a few years.
