2007 Okanagan Crop Report
By
Jay Drysdale
November 19, 2007
We have seen some blockbuster wines on our shelves recently and the 2005 reds are a great example of monster softness. The 2006 whites are strong and pure, but I was hoping for some explosive brilliance of fruit after all the hype. I am finding many of them good but not great, I would like to see more clarity of fruit and less alcohol. So when a winemaker says that this year is similar to the past two years, I am excited and not at the same time.
I do know the Okanagan had a great hot summer, one of the driest on record, and those that picked early found a beautiful balance of everything. It’s not just sugar, but acid, tannin ripeness, and flavour development that were all equal this year. “The weather throughout ripening and harvest was near perfect”, said one wine maker in Okanagan Falls. Many winemakers are calling this year balanced before they describe any other attribute.
The wineries that were looking for more hang time are the ones that rolled the dice with their picking schedules. The rains came, the temperature dropped, and the praying to the sun gods started. Almost six weeks went by with not enough dry time between the rains to pull in the grapes. This meant a dilution of sugar and acid which caused the growers to want to hang on little longer, hoping for a warm fall to bring more balance back into the grapes. The late summer never came and many grapes where brought in for salvage reasons rather than optimal ripeness. Does this mean a bad year? I don’t think so, I think a larger percentage of grapes came in early this year with a smaller percentage looking for premium ripeness in some of the harder to ripen varieties.
This year will bring some clarity to regional ripeness as you will see a variety of flavour profiles for the same grape depending on its appellation. There is a growing understanding of regional differences, soil influences, and vineyard management that will reveal itself better than any past vintage. It will be important this year to know exactly where the grapes came from so you can understand how regional climates affected the ripening thus affecting the final product. It may not mean too much to the average consumer, but I think winemakers will be seeing a huge learning curve as they better understand their vineyards.
There have been some very exciting reports about Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and Merlot this vintage with some apprehension towards Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. I only hope and ask that wines that didn’t reach optimal ripeness are not sold as a “BC Style”, lets price it accordingly and educate our consumers on BC’s amazing potential and not add another level of confusion to their understanding of BC product.
The 2007 vintage will bring a variety of wine styles and I think the great wines will rival the best this province has ever seen. “The style will be less of the huge wine (high alcohol) and more finesse and balance”, said one winemaker on the Golden Mile.
The yield this year should be on par or slightly above the 2006 vintage as some wineries where up slightly and others felt some of the bud damage from last years cold spell. There will also be a growing number of new producing vines entering the market and it is this growth that will probably result in any of the increases in production.
I am excited about this year’s harvest as I think there will be many great surprises. I am also looking forward at seeing the potential of the new Mediterranean varieties that should be producing fruit over the next couple of years. I would give this vintage a strong 8 out of 10 for those that picked early and we will have to wait and see for those who didn’t.
These are my thoughts, if you want to share yours, email me at jay@winesofbc.ca
Jay Drysdale
Sommelier\Educator
GM Toasted Oak Wine Bar and Grill, Oliver, B.C.
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