Vintages USA Flashcards
California experienced drought conditions from what years?
2012 - 2016
What are the worst recent vintages for California?
2020 - Heat, drought, wildfires - SMOKE
2011 - Cold and Rainy, lots of GREEN wines (BALANCE in Washington, but killer frost, FRESH in OR)
2005 - heavy crop, cooler year - some ripening problems - some AUSTERE wines (RIPE in Washington)
2003 - cold and wet start, later heatwaves some AUSTERE wines
(BRAWNY in OR, Broad, OXIDATIVE in WA)
2000 - Rain at harvest made LIGHT, UNDERRIPE wines
1998 - COLD, DAMP - green and herbal with gritty tannins
What are the ripest, richest vintages from California?
2021 - heat and drought - very low yields but good quality CONCENTRATED
2018 - Slow, even season - RICH and DARK wines
2016 - End of drought - INTENSE
2015 - Small crop, harvested earlier opulent and VOLUPTUOUS
2010 - cool start to build structure and late heatwaves BIG, RIPE, TANNIC
2007 - GENEROUS and LUSH - classic
2002 - EXOTIC - very high sugar levels, extreme heat at the end
1997 - Huge group of OPULENT wines
What are the more structured, austere vintages for California?
2010 - cool start to build structure and late heatwaves BIG, RIPE, TANNIC
2008 - Frost lowered yields, heat spikes later in the season - dense and COARSE
2006 - cool year, late harvest - COMPACT, dense
2005 - heavy crop, cooler year - some ripening problems - some AUSTERE wines
2004 - FIRM, structured some wines roasted from September heatwave
2003 - cold and wet start, later heatwaves some AUSTERE wines
1999 - Cool, moderate year made SAPPY wines with high acid and tannin - good for aging
What are the more open and soft vintages for California?
2019 - High yields and High quality, soft and VIBRANT
2014 - BEAUTIFUL midweight wines
2012 - LIGHTER structure, more red fruit - high yielding from a warm and dry season
2009 - SILKY, mid weight wines - cool year, picking around october rains
How were the past 5 years for California?
2023 - Slow start to the season so far - shaping up to be a LATE harvest
2022 - early frost and late heatwaves, most good quality - Santa Barbara struggled to get ripe
2021 - heat and drought - very low yields but good quality CONCENTRATED
2020 - Heat, Drought, and WILDFIRES - SMOKE
2019 - High yields and High quality, soft and VIBRANT
2018 - Slow, even season - RICH and DARK wines
What are the best recent vintages for Oregon?
2019 - MAGICAL steady ripening with well timed rains
2016 - intense and EXPRESSIVE ideal ripening conditions
2014 - Quality and Quantity - ROUND, supple wines
2008 - Long, slow ripening - good BALANCE
What are the worst recent vintages for Oregon?
2020 - massive SMOKE TAINT issues
2013 - TORRENTIAL RAIN at harvest, LIGHT wines
2011 - Long, cold summer - mostly UNDERRIPE wines
2007 - RAINFALL at harvest, TAUT, LEAN wines - some successes
2003 - BRAWNY wines, some roasted and hefty
How were the past 5 vintages for Oregon?
2022 - cold and wet start - rot problems - warm summer and rains held off until late October - CLASSIC
2021 - intense June heat, but still perfume and FRESHNESS
2020 - massive SMOKE TAINT issues
2019 - MAGICAL steady ripening with well timed rains
2018 - deep, MUSCULAR hot vintage for aging
What are some structured, fruity vintages for Oregon?
2017 - rainy spring, high yielding, warm year FORWARD and fruity wines
2015 - dark, ripe, and FLESHY wines -warm conditions
2012 - cool spring, low yields STRUCTURED wines
2009 - FAT and BROAD - hot summer, early drinking
2006 - BOLD, RIPE wines with lower acidity
2004 - Hot summer cooled off by rains - RIPE
2002 - ENERGY and concentration - warm and dry season
What are some classically structured, elegant vintages for Oregon?
2022 - cold and wet start - rot problems - warm summer and rains held off until late October - CLASSIC
2014 - Quality and Quantity - ROUND, supple wines
2010 - cool start, late warmth - CLASSIC
2008 - Long, slow ripening - good BALANCE
2005 - Cool season - fresh wines
What were the worst recent vintages for Washington?
2020 - Hot season - SMOKE TAINT issues
2015 - HOTTEST season on record (with 2021) POWERFUL wines, some unbalanced
2003 - BROAD, GENEROUS - some oxidative, port-like wines from very hot mid-season
2000 - Late September FROST, selection important
How were the past 5 years in Washington?
2022 - High yields, large berries - cool spring but very warm finish - GOOD
2021 - early bud break, wind-interrupted flowering MASSIVE HEAT DOME during June, then some cooling in Sept. - small crop with high sugars, CONCENTRATION
2020 - Hot season - SMOKE TAINT issues
2019 - low-yielding, contracted harvest due to October freezes - ELEGANT midweight
2018 - DEEP, full wines from a warm season that cooled off
What happened in 2017 that caused the wines to have a savory style?
STYLISH, SAVORY - warm, but a layer of high atmosphere smoke from BC reduced temperature and sunlight
What are the best recent vintages for Washington?
2012 - Deep, COMPLEX - excellent vintage and season
2008 - cool summer, warm autumn - DETAILED and good wines
2006 - Warm year that finished cool and some rain in September - BALANCED
1999 - GREAT BALANCE and DEPTH
