2004 Vintage Report
By John Simes, Winemaker
2004 Vintage Report
By John Simes, Winemaker
Bud break was about two weeks ahead of schedule due to an incredibly early spring. That was followed by an extremely hot July, possibly the second warmest on record.
In mid August, it was almost as if Mother Nature turned off the heat switch. In the vineyards where the fruit was far enough along, the cooler temperatures actually helped to slow down the ripening, giving us a longer hang time resulting in more mature tannins. In other parcels, we had to open up the canopy to ensure full ripeness ahead of harvest.
In 2004, we continued taking steps to actively reduce our yields across the board. Overall, the best fruit was superb with high sugars, great flavours and firm structure. In Oliver, we brought in Petit Verdot at 27 Brix. At the Ranch, I tasted Merlot at 25 Brix. Our Osoyoos vineyards consistently over performs. The 2004 Sauvignon Blanc from there was outstanding. In terms of red to white ratio, we have almost 52% of our vineyards planted with white varietals and 48% of our vineyards planted with red, but our percentage of red varietals will continue to increase in the coming years.
An unexpected but welcomed New Year’s cold snap gave us a bountiful Icewine harvest of both Riesling and Vidal. Picking began on Mission Hill Road at 6:00 AM on Sunday, January 2nd. Our entire harvest was complete by 3:00 AM on Tuesday, January 4th. In addition to Mission Hill Road, crews picked at the winery’s Naramata Ranch and Oliver Vineyard Estate. Throughout picking, the temperature held steady at between -9º and -12º Celsius.
The fruit from the Ranch is brilliant and the Riesling from Mission Hill Road is simply some of the best we’ve ever harvested from that site.
All in all, we remain very well positioned going into 2005.
