A blast from the past
Vintage 2021
What a change from the past three years!
For recent vintages we’ve had to work with early ripening, an excess of sun, and even drought-like conditions. 2021 demanded some recalibrations.
Spring proved very cool, significantly delaying bud break in the vines. We were fortunate to avoid the spring frosts that struck many locations in late April.
Rain fell hard and often as the vines grew, and while conditions remained relatively warm, there were a variety of viticultural challenges to navigate throughout the vegetative period.
It took tremendous hard work by our tireless team - and a few well-placed days of clear weather - to get a handle on things during the blossoming, which was delayed into June.
WEATHERING THE STORMS AND MUCH MANUAL LABOR
Working constantly by hand in the vineyards, we established good air circulation within the canopies, including some foliage thinning to let more sunshine fall on the grapes.
Fortune once again smiled upon us, as we avoided the extreme weather that afflicted some other regions. We instead enjoyed a bit of warm summer conditions, with moderate amounts of precipitation that kept things moving along nicely.
To counter the delayed vegetative growth, we undertook a rigorous “green harvest” that reduced the number of grapes in the vineyards, all by sustainable methods.
Lovely and dry late-summer weather well into September helped the grapes move slowly but surely toward their ideal ripeness.
HARVEST CAME LATE AND DRY
Harvest kicked off on September 24th with Spätburgunder. Autumn seemed to want to make up for the dismal weather from before: things ran quiet and dry, leaving us plenty of hang time for the grapes to finish ripening. Cool nights encouraged the development of intense aromatics while preserving acidity.
Over the course of six weeks, we were able to selectively hand harvest all of the vineyards. This year required an especially strong focus on selective passes.
We ultimately brought in a classic Rhine vintage, in the best sense of the word.
They are presenting moderate alcohol levels, a rich, fruity, and aromatic expression, and a refreshing yet round acidity.
We look very much forward to watching this vintage mature, and anticipate that it will achieve greatness for many years to come.
