Vintage 2025 update: Call for heat
The red blocks have ripened tremendously in the past two weeks. Having finally reached veraison by the middle-end of August (not without dropping a fair bit of the remaining green fruit and shoulders from the biggest vines and clusters) — the reds are tasting delightful — and our Merlot is clocking 22 Brix, right on schedule, even without the same growing degree days we logged in 2024.
2025 Growing Degree Days to date: 1874 (delta to 2024 vintage: 203) — this is what we call a cool climate terroir by Napa Valley standards.
Sauvignon Blanc is struggling to sugar up fully despite the wonderful flavors — lots of stone fruit and tropical notes are emerging in the Musque clones, even though there is still a lot of citrus on the bigger (end) vines and the larger-cropped vines. Seeds are 50%-60% brown throughout. Clone 317, generally our structural addition for acid, is blend of white floral, acacia, and lemon/lime citrus notes, and will probably sing this vintage.
Chardonnay is slowly ripening into blood orange and pineapple notes. Sugars are hovering in the high 22s and low 23s, and I am waiting for tannin and structure (brown seed development, fully lignified rachis of the clusters, rising pH and falling malic acids). So while everything is coming along, and I’m very happy generally with the flavors and the structural development, what we still need in this part of the world is a string of warm (and dry!) days … solar dance anyone?
