Growing Conditions

While the growing conditions in 2008 were very good, the one element that will be most remembered is the dearth of clusters and the very small size of these clusters. The vintage provided only 60% of normal rainfall and, combined with brutal frosts and extreme heats, the vines were clobbered, leading to the very small crop. Yield/acre was about 40% below normal, but the quality was very high. Over the summer it looked as though the season would be late, and a wicked heat spell burned some growers who had removed too many leaves. The weather cooled in September and Bordeaux varieties ripened beautifully