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Using information gathered from
winemakers statewide, the general consensus of
the 2005 vintage is that vineyard management
decisions, for the most part, made the wines.
The growing season of 2005 started out with
intermittent rain showers late into the spring.
This put us all in attack mode against the
possible outbreak of powdery mildew, even though
access to the wet vineyards was limited. Along
the way, vigor and flowering was quite generous
as the vines had bounced back from the short
crop of 2004. This setting for an abundant crop
gave managers the luxury of being able to fine
tune their crops with multiple passes of fruit
selection as spring moved on into summer. The
fact of the matter is that for most, an unusual
amount of time and money was invested in canopy
and fruit management in the vineyard. And,
although it wasn’t universal, the next result
was a crop 30% greater than average.
Many regions experienced cooler than normal
temperatures for much of the typically hot
summer months. With berry counts already high
and cluster weights continuing to rise due to
the lack of stressful conditions during this
time, conscientious growers were able to make
yet more fruit thinning passes and further
achieve balance in the vineyards.
Some heat spikes occurred in late September, but
otherwise harvest was drawn out into late
October while the grapes slowly ripened. Sugars
were generally lower than normal which made for
lower alcohols and healthy fermentations. The
color, flavor, and structure extraction was
generous, and the concentration of vintage 2005
fruit will make cabernets and cabernet-blend
wines age gracefully well into the next decade.
As for comparisons, at this early stage, let’s
say 1997 – wonderful, long-lasting wines and a
most bountiful vintage.
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