| After a wet winter, the growing season began late with
heavy rain and storms lasting into mid-June. Spring was
late with bud break about a month behind the previous year.
Growth was slow in the cool spring and bloom remained a
month behind schedule. Intermittent rain during late May
and June, right in the middle of bloom, caused "shatter"
in many blocks. It is partially to blame for the low yields
of 1998 reds.
Despite the cool June, things turned warm in July. On
one day we recorded 117 degrees F for a short period of
time. On this day we were hurt severely by sun burning
as were all Napa Valley vineyards. The hot weather took
almost the entire Petit Verdot crop as well as about half
of the Cabernet at Miravalle. Losses ranged from 10 to
25% elsewhere. The summer remained warm with a few more
hot spells. Despite the warm weather the grapes remained
unusually late developing.
Veraison was irregular and ripening came very late, about
30 to 40 days later than the previous year. Its uneven
character meant that we often could not pick a whole block
at once. Instead we had to mark the slower ripening areas
of the block that we would then pass over and return to
weeks later. To make it more difficult, we were worried
about the sunburned fruit, and had to take great care
to pick around it. Ripening and harvest were slow, full
of worry and twice daily postings of weather forecasts.
Luckily the weather of September and October was clear
and the grapes ripened fully in the cool autumn weather.
We finished the second week of November, over six weeks
later than in 1997.
The slow ripening had the benefit of allowing us plenty
of time to get the grapes harvested at the right maturity.
It also gave us time to take care of every detail pertaining
to the fermentation. We gave the later ripening fermentation
lots extended contact on the skins. Grape acidity was
initially high, but good clean malolactic fermentations,
completed by mid-December, softened the flavor.
Our '98 is holding up well.
The vintage is aging slowly and showing a lot of fruit
at this time. The wine is bright in color and aroma. It
has adequate tannin, but it is a little softer than others
we have made. The Merlot lots, though tiny in quantity,
were particularly attractive and important in the final
assemblage.
The vintage, in general, has been panned by some critics.
They have not tasted our wine. This is a similar situation
to 1975 and 1979. These two vintages were also cool, late,
and difficult, particularly for valley floor vineyards
in heavy soils. While many wines were truly inferior in
those vintages, grapes growing on the best vineyards were
spectacular. The wine collector who thoughtfully and selectively
purchased in those years is enjoying wonderful wine today.
I cellared 20 cases of a Cabernet I made in 1975. Though
most of it is gone, it is a treat to open a bottle today.
( I pretend I knew it would turn out well from the very
beginning.) Today in our wine library the 1979 Spring
Mountain Cabernet made by Mike Robbins is alive and powerful.
I have heard it said that the children who give you the
most trouble are the ones you love the most when they
have grown up. This may be true for our 1998. I think
it will stand an excellent vintage and one that we will
continually revisit over the next twenty years. I think
we will marvel at its fruit and its durability. I’m
sure we will forget the trouble this vintage gave us and,
as time passes, we will find ourselves hoping for another
such year to come along. |
