2021 Vintage

Patience Rewards

Climate is what you plan for and weather is what you get. However with climate change we no longer know how to plan. 2021 may be our first climate change vintage. Weather events are what define a vintage. A decade ago climate scientists predicted certain trends for the changes in the mid-Atlantic. They all occurred in 2021.

2021 was a successful vintage in terms of quality. It was stressful getting to that point as vineyard management and picking decisions were based mostly on intuition, taste, and gut feel. Working the same vineyards for decades gave us the tools to make good wines in such wildly fluctuating weather.

Spring came in gently and predictably. A cold February was followed by a dry, mild March. Bud break was in late April, right on time. May did not follow suit as hail on May 7 damaged some emerging shoots. Fortunately the damage was mostly cosmetic to only the base of the shoots as the clusters had not yet unfolded.

May was dry as was June and July. This made for a good crop (excellent pollination conditions) with small berries (water stressed vines), but young vines were beginning to show signs of excessive water stress (stunted growth and yellowing basal leaves).

Veraison began in late July under ideal conditions: hot and dry. Color change was quick and uniform setting the stage for high quality. Mid-August presented a big shift with humid, wet nights and frequent quick, hard showers. This slowed the ripening process and elevated disease pressure.

Harvest began on September 9 with young vine Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. As would play out for the entire harvest, young vines could not handle the rains as well as older vines and were often picked on the early side in advance of fruit degradation. Old vines allowed us to wait, which was the key in making balanced wines with good concentration.

2021 white wines have poise and restraint. They show a common thread of intense minerality that seems to happen predictably in cloudy harvests. They have the grace and subtle power of a ballerina.

The 2021 red wines were able to take advantage of a streak of cool, sunny and dry weather in late September and early October. This final kiss saved the vintage. As with their white counterparts, there is an elegance and terroir expression that defines the vintage.

Jim Law