Notes from the 2008 Vintage

By Damian Parker
Director of Winemaking

For the second year in a row, the 2008 growing season experienced below-normal rainfall. Budbreak occurred from March 30th to April 14th, when freezing temperatures required us to turn on our frost protection 29 times – a record, according to German Corro, our Vineyard manager of 34 years. We were on a weather roller coaster ride, as temperatures spiked to 100°F during the bloom period. Philippe explains in his report (later in this newsletter) the effect this had on the berries.

On August 14, harvest began with Sauvignon Blanc, which showed great flavor and balance. After whole cluster pressing and a day of settling, the juice was transferred to 132-gallon puncheons and 60-gallon barrels for fermentation.

By the time Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier had been picked, veraison was just finishing in most of our red vineyards. Flavor, color and tannin development were now fully under way.

The first red grapes (Merlot) came in from our Las Rocas Vineyard on September 5th. After that, the weather cooled and morning fog slowed picking. Allowing for the normal variance from lot to lot, fruit harvested during this period showed bright fruit flavors, good pH and acid balance, and great tanning and color.

Over the next two weeks, the weather was near perfect. By October 11th, as I write this, we have harvested a total of 669 tons, and a gorgeous Indian summer has arrived, with daytime temperatures hovering around 85°F. Picking should conclude around October 23rd, with a total of 800 tons harvested for the season.

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Postscript: As we observe the progress of wines picked during the latter half of the growing season, we see that they are developing more flavor, color and tannin, due to the extra time spent on the vine. Even at this early stage, the wines show outstanding balance, depth and elegance.

One of the many benefits of having vineyards from St. Helena to the city of Napa and on both sides of the valley, is the diversity and complexity they contribute to our blends. Both winemaker Ashley Hepworth and I are excited about the promise of these new wines, and offer profound thanks to our vineyard and production team for once again bringing harvest at JPV to a successful conclusion.

By Philippe Pessereau
Director of Vineyard Operations

The 2008 growing season was startling and provoking, yet yielded fruit of refined quality.

With a lower than normal rainfall this season again this winter, and the longest cold and frosty spring experienced since 1971, the beginning of 2008 was unusually challenging.

After normal budbreak and a cold April, from May 16 – 18 we experienced incredibly high temperatures in the midst of bloom. Such drastic weather changes led to plant hormone imbalances which prompted flower fertilization to abort in some Cabernet clones, causing the phenomenon known as shatter. However, unlike the Cabernet, this year’s Merlot was totally immune to shatter.

Following flowering, we observed a return to more clement temperatures. Moderate, consistent weather in June, July and August promoted even and healthy vine development despite a few heat spikes. As a result of normal phonological development, berry set occurred swiftly and led the way to véraison. The onset of berry color also arrived quickly but lasted a bit longer than normal.

We noted that heat impact on berries of clusters located on the noon or afternoon side showed delayed pigment development due to higher than normal berry skin temperatures. Indeed, clusters exposed to the morning sun completed véraison almost twice as fast as their counterpart on the p.m. side.

Fortunately, by the time véraison unfolded, we had kept all basal leaves in the fruit zone to act as sun shade on those afternoon side clusters. Furthermore, to reduce plant water stress in favor of fruit development, we kept vines under optimum hydration levels. This enabled us to carry véraison through completion.

As a result of fruit shatter observed during post bloom there was a conspicuous amount of secondary clusters in many parcels. These had to be removed to concentrate all vine efforts on the primary clusters.

One beneficial aspect of this vintage was the cool nighttime temperatures which are crucial to plant recovery from daytime heat stress and also enable the vines to continue their growth.

Harvest officially began on August 14th with Sauvignon Blanc. Then, late August and early September yielded two more heat waves which hastened sugar accumulation in the fruit. With properly timed irrigation, we were able to maintain fruit health, allowing optimal maturation of the ripening grapes.