2018 Vintage Update
Our team took a few minutes to check in with our Head Winemaker, Joe Ibrahim, to get his opinion on our recent 2018 harvest and get an idea of what to expect with our 2018 vintage.
How was the 2018 harvest?
The 2018 Harvest was amazing! The growing season was warm and dry and that continued into the harvest season. Winemakers had their choice of pick days without the fear of seasonal rains, which allowed us to achieve the exact level of ripeness we wanted from the grapes.
How do the wines look?
The wines look fantastic! Each time we taste these wines we are so excited. The red wines are rich and dark in color with moderate alcohol levels. The early signs of complexity are starting to show in the completed lots and will continue to become more nuanced through the aging process. The white wine wines are bright and fresh and show a nice balance of fresh fruit with hints of tropical fruit, and good body weight.
What can we expect from this vintage?
Along with us, other Oregon wine producers also experienced an outstanding vintage. I think its safe to say that we will be seeing some great write ups on the 2018 vintage wines. 2018 will likely be known as one of Oregon’s best and will be argued to be the very best vintage. This will benefit not just us, but the industry as a whole as we continue to tell the story of quality wines coming out of Oregon.
Are there any stand-out wines you are excited about?
Its still early, but there are exceptional lots from all our estate properties. It was fun to get to know the new vineyard blocks from the Bernau Estate Vineyard and those wines look to be very strong. Bernau block Pinot Noir from our main estate and the new century blocks from Elton, as well as Peter Micheal, and Meadow View sections from Tualatin Estate are some of our top lots.