2010 Vine Report

What a difference a year makes.

As opposed to the early budbreaks and drought-driven conditions of the last few years, the 2010 growing season was characterized by a long cold, wet winter, followed by a late spring and a relatively cool summer with few days of excessive heat. As a result, budbreak was one of the latest we've ever seen, with most vineyards and varietals throughout the Northern California growing regions (including Lamorinda), delayed by 1-2 weeks, and continuing to fall even further behind as the season progressed.

As the harvest season belatedly approached and the average daily temperatures continued to subsist below normal, we ran up against some of the most difficult elements Mother Nature could throw at us. A warm spell in mid September caught us slightly off-guard, as the early-ripening varietals, full of latent energy, suddenly bolted toward full maturity. We responded by harvesting all of these crops in a very short time span, striving to capture that fleeting window of optimal ripeness.

Then, after a return of cool temperate weather, we continued to monitor the later ripening varietals well into October. We waited, and waited, and waited for sugars to develop and flavors to reach their peak. With not many more days of warmth and sunshine on the horizon as we approached late October, and the majority of our projected harvest still hanging on the vines, the weather forecasts began to threaten ominously. The last thing a wine grower wants before harvest is a heavy rainfall, followed by persistent cool, damp weather. So after the first light rain subsided, we glimpsed a short window – about three days -- before the prediction of a perilously strong Alaskan front. Finally, our exhaustive vineyard checks yielded the readings we were looking for. In the next few days, we proceeded to harvest and process nearly 60% of our entire season's production, crushing the last bin of fruit just as the storm blew in.

The good news for both wine consumers and winemakers is that the mild, consistent summer weather provided ideal growing conditions for the grapes to develop fully and uniformly. With the benefit of extended 'hang-time', most vineyards grew extremely well-balanced fruit, possessing beautifully mature flavors and ideal natural acidity without the presence of excessively high sugars. For those who have begun to acclimate to California's 'global warming-induced' fruit/alcohol bombs of recent vintages, 2010 wines may seem comparatively light in both color and body. However, for those of us who yearn for wines with finesse, balance and lower alcohol levels, this vintage will offer a welcome return to wines of subtlety, refinement, and nuance; wines that will age gracefully, please the palate without overwhelming it, and beautifully complement food rather than demand the center of attention at a meal.

Though the effort required this season was back-straining, sleep-depriving, and stressful, we somehow managed to pull it off. If not for the tireless contributions of our many harvest season volunteers and our dedicated staff – Scott, Moira, Rodrigo, and Ally – we never could have survived it. However, thanks to their commitment, enthusiasm, and perseverance, the wines from 2010 are shaping up to be outstanding, perhaps even more memorable than the growing season. We hope you'll enjoy them!