in the vineyard : 2020 was a particularly challenging vintage. Closer to picking we experienced a heat wave, strong winds, and a fire.
December was relatively cool with strong winds, due to this our vines experienced an increase in wind stress and utilized more water, but this also decreased the average daytime temperatures on the property. Constant wind during December can hinder active shoot growth and can dry out soils considerably.
With dry-land vineyards planted on soils with a higher water-holding capacity we had no symptoms of water stress. Temperatures suddenly spiked during mid-January, after which it dropped rapidly due to a cold front, which also brought along wide-spread rains. The harvest season commenced relatively early.
Extremely warm temperatures were recorded in February, which placed immense pressure on the cellars’ processing capacity as grapes had to be harvested simultaneously. March was cooler with a few rain showers, which delayed the ripening process of the last few blocks. Despite these challenges the harvest went smoothly with minimal interruptions and the grapes were harvested at optimal ripeness.