Vintage Factors

The season opened in late March on a note of suspense - early bud break and frost threats, which were mitigated by our wind machines. Perfectly timed spring rains then allowed for a superior bloom of the clusters in early June. Ideally, from early July we received 7 weeks of very warm and dry weather. Manual watering took place in some parcels with low water retention, and in mid-August we received needed rain. Harvest took place at optimal ripening times between August 14th and September 21st. The 2021 weather furnished some of the most admirably balanced wines we have produced, reminiscent of the elegance we saw in Octagon 2009, winner of our 4th Governor’s Cup. The excellence of the vintage is brilliantly realized in this bottling of our classic Merlot.