Harvest 2016

The 2016 vintage was an excellent growing season in Sonoma, CA and it started out as the previous four vintages with a warm and dry winter. Above average temperatures and modest rainfall in the winter months brought a normal bud break in all growing regions. The main difference in this growing season was cooler temperatures in late February and increasing rain totals in March that helped slow down vegetative growth. The net result was a slightly longer vegetative cycle, a slower grape maturation cycle, and therefore a later harvest compared to 2015. These events allowed for perfect maturation of the grape tannins and flavor development. Flowering happened under normal conditions with a slight cooling trend in May, which ultimately prevented blockbuster yields. Temperatures after fruit set were normal, but as veraison approached there were a few heat spikes that jump-started the ripening process. Overall, the wines from the 2016 vintage exhibit wonderfully polished tannins due to long and slow grape maturation on the vine.