2020
The 2020 vintage is of course memorable for learning to navigate the novel challenges of a global pandemic and a harvest season punctuated by peripheral fires. Yet focusing on the most sensational aspects of the year neglects the full picture, which includes an early budbreak and near ideal growing conditions that kicked off an early harvest and produced layered, expressive wines.
The year began with only moderate precipitation, yielding rainfall totals roughly half of average. The wet weather ceased in February and the sunny, warmer temperatures that followed ushered in an early budbreak at the beginning of March. Although spring remained mostly dry, the prior winter showers provided enough rain to fully penetrate the soil and hydrate the vines through the season.
Summer saw consistently warm weather and a steady march toward harvest without the heat extremes of previous years. The low rainfall and dry spring resulted in low vigor with fewer clusters and with the summer warmth, the fruit ripened quickly through July and into August. Harvest season had been tracking early since budbreak and it kept pace through summer.
By mid-August, vineyard samples showed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay quickly advancing to full physiological maturity with concentrated flavor development at slightly lower Brix. On August 17th, we were counting down the hours to picking Pinot when the Walbridge fire began in the dense forest northwest of Forestville. Already on track for an early harvest, seeing the fire conditions presenting themselves in the distance cemented our decision to begin picking on the 18th, although we were fortunate it was the result of well-developed fruit rather than Mother Nature forcing our hand.
That fall we were especially thankful for our proximity to the coast, which brought westerly winds that ushered in cleaner air above the Estate. Fruit ripened quickly and we kept the momentum through the end of August and into September, picking the last grapes – Zinfandel from the Estate – on September 10th, long before the Glass Fire began in the east.
It is difficult to extol the virtues of a vintage that brought struggle and heartbreak to many of our neighbors. Yet the natural diversity of terroir in Sonoma and Mendocino counties nearly guarantees different experiences for different growers. We are grateful that the cherished vineyard sites we work with were not as impacted by fire and that our continued evolution to restrained, higher acid, Old-World-style wines set us up well for an earlier harvest. For us, the 2020 vintage ultimately produced fresh, vibrant wines that are rich in flavor, with aromatic intensity and great structural balance.
