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Fall/Winter 2002
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From our Winemaker: Notes from the 2002
Craig Williams
Director of Winemaking  This year we harvested the first Cabernet crop on our Spring Valley ranch from replanted vineyards. Improved farming methods and better rootstock and clonal selection are immediately apparent as we drain tanks in the cellar and notice highly articulated, black fruit aromas. In general, we were blessed this year with ripeness and good extraction. The challenge, as always, is finessing maximum quality out of the fruit.
Bulmaro Montes, General Manager, Vineyard Operations  This year’s fruit has lighter tannins and a more gentle mouthfeel, which I believe will result in wines best described as concentrated and elegant. I would characterize 2002 as a softer more feminine vintage, with the exception of Backus Vineyard fruit, which is tannic and intense, containing more masculine, mineral-like flavors.
Damian Parker, Vice-President, Production  We brought in 90% of our fruit over a fairly intense 4-week period beginning the last week in September. Yields were off 12–15% due to crop thinning in the vineyard to mitigate uneven ripening, but balance is good as a result. Fruit is less tannic than last year and will probably yield more approachable wines. A real stand-out this year was the Monterey Syrah which was crop thinned below two tons per acre (average is 5 tons per acre). The result is going to be an intense, exotic, over-the-top wine which should blow your socks off!
Philippe Pessereau, Senior Viticulturist, Assistant Vineyard Manager  Warm, consistent temperatures in June, July and August allowed a healthy leaf canopy to form so that fruit ripened well and developed good flavorand color relatively early. Then three successive heat spells in September caused some shriveling and required aggressive crop thinning. The result was vividly-colored, intensely flavored fruit at harvest with concentrated flavors and tannins. Greg Cannon, Viticulturist  This was our first harvest from new vineyards in Freestone. We thinned the crop late in order to best understand what crop load we might expect, and as a result Pinot Noir developed evenly with dark colors and full flavors. Chardonnay looks good to very good. Early impressions are of of fresh, ripe fruit that sustains manageable tannins. Our ongoing goal is to further refine vine management and harvest techniques in order to better understand cool climate grape quality and development.
Ashley Hepworth, Enologist  High sugars and low yields for the 2002 vintage have produced deep colors and concentrated flavors which I predict will translate into stellar wines.
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