The 2018 winter was warmer and drier than average with only eight inches of rain. Fortunately, that pattern was reversed in March and April with an additional eight inches, normalizing vine vigor. Though spring and summer were the coolest we have seen in six years, the seasons aligned with average temperatures from the past twenty years. Continuing our transition to dry farming, we farmed 75% of our vineyards without a single irrigation. The gentle accumulation of heat through the summer led to an extended season, allowing the grapes to fully ripen with lots of phenolic complexity and maturation. Harvest began on August 30th and was completed on October 17th. Aside from rain showers at the beginning of October, the benevolent fall weather pattern allowed us to pick at optimal ripeness, yielding wines of elegant and precocious potential.
