I think people always wonder how important vintage (year) really is when they are drinking wine. Some may think this is taking it too far and deliberating between vintages might be over their head. Oh, that is just for wine snobs, it does not matter to me that much. Maybe some do look into it a little too much; but most not enough. There are definitely some wine regions that are affected heavily vintage to vintage (Oregon, certain regions in France, etc.) and some not as much (California, South America, etc.). This is a very general statement and of course you can have consistency from the first and bad years from the second, but I would definitely pay attention to the first a little more.
For example, the 2007 vintage in Oregon. Although there were some producers making some good wine, the vintage as a whole was not so hot (not a weather reference!) This is what Patricia Green said about the 2007 vintage in the Willamette Valley, Of the eight vintages we have farmed, harvested and bottled here at Patricia Green Cellars this will likely be the most difficult one to WRITE about. Why? Well, it was far from a textbook vintage, no doubt many of you have seen an unusual number of Oregon Pinot Noir Roses on the market and maybe have experienced some less than thrilling Pinots from the vintage. It is always easy to write that whatever you have to sell is the best vintage ever or the best vintage since… but there is a line you can cross where people simply do not believe what you have to say if it runs to much counter to their actual experiences. There is no question that the 2007 harvest was tough. It rained and it rained more than just a little bit at times when we really do not want it to rain at all. There were sleepless mornings when at 3:30 AM you lie there wondering why you ever put your life, beliefs and financial future in the hands of Mother Nature. The first 26 days of October (we finished picking on the 26th) were some of the most gut-wrenching and harrowing days we have spent deciding what to do and waiting to pick fruit that we have endured in a long, long time. It was definitely a tough vintage that ended with a lot of wine Willamette produces would not want to represent their region. If you see a smoking deal on your favorite producers pinot, you might want to take a closer look at the vintage. It is not that anyone is trying to rip you off, it is just that their confidence in their wine from that vintage might not be there. If a sale looks too good to be true; it probably is.
Now let us look at the 2008 vintage. Great ratings from Parker to Spectator, a perfect growing season, and a really psyched group of winemakers. Michael Etzel, of Beaux Freres said, "Everyone seems to be interested in Oregons 2008 vintage. Wine Spectator is rumored to have given it a 100-point vintage in the next edition. It all began with the growing season of 2008. The flowering was just right. Not too good and not too loose and we're guessing, about a 50 to 60 percent success in the flowering, which produces nice small clusters that are loose enough to allow berry expansion. Finished cluster weights were 85 grams, unlike 2007 with cluster weights of 135 or so. The growing season was moderate, not too much heat, rain or cool days. This permitted the grapes to get fully ripe seeds, stems and the skin of the grape. The week of Sept. 1, we had rain all weekend. Then the warm fall season began. The rain was just enough to give the plants that shot in the arm to carry on the ripening process. We began picking young vines on Wednesday, Sept. 29. Everything was picked by Oct. 18. Ferments were native and behaved very well. They aged well and now, two years later, they are showing what a good childhood will do for later development."
When a winemaker has a great growing season it is easy for him or her to make better decisions. In Oregon you really have to worry about rain during harvest, like what happened in 2007. When you are concentrating on saving your grapes, it is hard to focus on making spectacular wines. But when nature aligns; it does all the work and decision making for you. It is easy to make the right choices because the perfect grapes do not make bad decisions. It is easy to notice the difference when tasting 2008 vs. 2007. Like I said, I have had some good 2007s but almost every single 2008 I have come across I have liked.
When people ask me what is good wine, I usually respond; if you like it then it is good. What you like and what I like may be completely different. But there is something to be said about unanimous liking or disliking. If 2008s are all the craze; check them out because not everyone can be wrong. You can kill yourself trying to buy only wines with the top scores and coming from the best vintages. By educating yourself, you can really help your wine buying decisions and hone in on what you will really enjoy.
Nick Agnew
Wine Buyer
West Vail Liquor Mart
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