Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/230154
reds, small berries, thick skins, high phenolic content and dry extract resulted," Betz said of the vintage. "With the mid-September cool-down, we were able to hang the later varieties without fear of excess potential alcohol or dried fruit flavors. What we have in barrel right now is dense, highly colored and deeply flavored." Chateau Ste. Michelle's Bertheau said he expects 2013 to be a great year for syrah, chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon in particular, and a more site-specific year for merlot and riesling. "Look out for big, rich, concentrated wines down the line," he said. CALIFORNIA An unusually warm spring and the effects of a late-September typhoon kept Oregon vintners on their toes. Photo: Carolyn Wells-Kramer/CWK Photography OREGON BY SEAN P. SULLIVAN Winegrowing in Oregon is never dull, as evidenced by the 2013 vin- WIREVISE® Trellis & Fence Wire Anchor Embossed jaws grip the wire as it is inserted and prevent it from being pulled out. The wire is retensionable with a pair of pliers or a claw hammer. For your nearest dealer, contact: Toll-Free: 877.552-4828 909.451.2299 • Fax: 909.593-8309 50 V I N E YA R D & WINE RY MANAGEM ENT | tage. In the Willamette Valley, things got started quickly, with warm spring temperatures leading to an early bud break across the valley. "Bud break this year was two weeks earlier than we've ever seen," Lynn Penner-Ash of PennerAsh Wine Cellars said of her estate site in the Yamhill-Carlton district. Others reported being a few days to two weeks ahead of average. Warm spring temperatures were followed by a cool and somewhat wet beginning of June, interrupting and prolonging bloom – which continued to be ahead of historical averages. Bloom lasted as much as two and a half weeks which, along with the wet weather, led to an uneven set in some regions of the Willamette Valley, especially at higher elevations. "You start at lower elevations and you had this really nice uniform cluster and then as you move up the hillside, you'll see this really mixed bag within clusters," said Gary Horner of Erath Winery in the Dundee Hills. June through August provided consistently warm temperatures without many significant heat spikes, along with higher humidity and warmer nighttime temperatures than is typical. Through August, growing degree-days throughout the valley were tracking 10%-20% Jan - Feb 2014 or more above the 10-year average, and it looked like it was shaping up to be a very warm year. Lynn Penner-Ash of Penner-Ash Wine Cellars experienced an especially early bud break. "We all anticipated an early harvest and were discussing ways we could slow our vineyards down to allow for optimal ripeness," Penner-Ash said. "I don't recall a w w w. v wm m e d i a . c o m