V.23
While the growing season generally starts at our earliest sites the second week of March, this year saw bud break one week later, after a classically cold and legendarily wet winter (our regions saw precipitation between 130 and 200% of average!). Rainfall and cool weather continued through the spring, leading to bloom and fruit set mid- to late June, about a month later than typical. Healthy crop loads and canopies slowly developed through the summer, thanks to good nutrient availability and cold yet cleansed soils. Several hedging passes were required in most sites due to bountiful canopy growth, creating unwelcome shade in an already cool season. Mildew pressure was high, thriving in the cool weather that seemingly would not abate. Verasion commenced early to mid- August, announcing a mid- to late September harvest debut. The SLS vintage started on September 9th with Coastview chardonnay and ended on November 3rd with Gali syrah. As expected, the wines are incredibly fresh and aromatic, fairly lean, and in some cases quite structured. Certainly the coldest and wettest season since 2011, this will be a vintage we hear about for many years to come.
V.24
The Central Coast of California had another good water year. Though it didn’t get as cold and wet as quickly as in 2023, we eventually got what we needed. And after soils being rinsed and replenished, our earliest sites came out of dormancy the second week of March. The last rain event of the growing season was early May, followed by the typical “May Gray” and “June Gloom” for which the Central Coast is known. With temperatures hovering in the average range through the end of spring, flowering commenced mid-May and finished mid-June. Along with beautiful weather early June came healthy fruit sets, followed by the increasingly common warm weather starting around the 4th of July. Temperatures were consistently a little above average in July and August, followed by heatwaves at both the beginning and end of September, and the last one in early October. The SLS harvest started on August 27th with chardonnay from Coastview Vineyard in the Gabilan Mountains, and ended on October 10th with syrah from Lester Vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Consistent with the warm weather and timely picking decisions, the ‘24 reds are characterized by rich fruit and spice intensity, backed by elegant structure, moderate alcohols, and fresh acidity. The whites are fairly lean, very fresh, and quite fruit-driven. Perhaps a bit less ethereal than 2023, and a bit more elegant than 2022- a classically Californian vintage.
