Hey all – just curious how things are looking for 2019 thus far.
Seems like its been cooler than recent Summers.
Cooler than the last few years. Muggy, some folks have battled powdery mildew. Set is slightly less than previous recent vintages. Harvest looks like late September…
+1
Once upon a time, wasn’t harvest in October? These days, late September almost sounds slightly later than normal. IIRC weren’t people picking in August during one or two of the recent hot years?
RT
The PM situation is quite real. It’s a battle we have not had to fight at this intensity in quite some time. Beyond that though it has been a nice season for the ripening of PN. It’s not been terribly hot. The hottest days of the year were in May. We definitely have stuff that will come off before 9/15 (younger vines on a steep, rocky slope and a couple other places that are pretty warm). The bulk of the picking I think will occur from then to the 30th with only some higher elevation/cooler sites drifting into October. Anything can happen still. Just trying to get through bottling before we get to picking. Might be a tie.
So I down played the powdery mildew problem that’s true. Some people are getting their asses handed to them out of bad luck, misfortune and mismanagement…
We’ve been noticing the high humidity in Seattle, and maple trees all over town are covered with powdery mildew.
That brings up an interesting note about the effect of climate change in the PNW. Back 30-40 years ago I used to think of the future weather of the PNW as becoming more like Napa/Sonoma. About five years ago projections started being publicized calling for warmer and much more humid summers, wetter winters, and lower snow levels. That is not the change I was hoping for, but it seems to be creeping in already.
I looked up my pick dates for most of my vintages. When you pick isn’t really what defines the nature of a vintage, as much as a combination of canopy strength, crop load, and late season temperatures.
2002: Late Sept-Early October
2003: 9/24-9/28
2005: 9/27-10/18
2006: 9/25-9/30
2007: 9/27-10/16
2008: 10/14-10/29
2009: 10/7-10/18
2010: 10/19-10/22
2012: 10/2-10/11
2014: 9/12-9/21
2015: 9/11-9/16
2016: 9/5, 9/14-9/16
For me 2003, 2006, and 2009 are all “over ripe” compared to 2014 and 2015. All were picked significantly later.
It also bears noting that when I started “hang time” was considered mandatory, and more was usually considered better. Water adds were also pretty common.
In general, I feel there is a move away from that type of picking decision. 2008 and 2010 sent me a message loud and clear that more hang time was not better “flavor”.
I won’t speak for others but is has been a long time since I picked at the last available window, and the wines are better for it. My 2017 Pinot Noirs run from 12.8-13.7% abv, and remind me more of
2005 than any other vintage, but I was very early to pull the trigger on picking that year.
I think from reading the board recently, the vintage is going to be ruined by a combination of global warming and odors and pesticides from adjoining pot vineyards.
Best advice is to backfill.
Guess I’m a late picker…
Elouon is already looking at contracts it can sign so it can later reneg on them for the 2020 growing season.
Ya think?
I always think I’m an appropriate picker.
Unless it’s a 2006 style panic picking.
BTW, excellent data Marcus. Thanks for sharing!
RT
I did my utmost to slow the picking decision in 06 at Maysara, and then fermented in any vessel that I could find. Total shit show
Thanks to everyone who chimed in. Sounds like another year with decent conditions.
The fat lady still has to sing Ron.
It’s always the last 45 days. We’re on like Day 1.
Wasn’t 2009 one of the hottest years in the last 10? Seems like it was in Seattle. I thought the wines would have shriveled up into raisins by October.