Growing Conditions

Alan Viader refers to the 2017 growing season as the “roller coaster” vintage due to the dramatic temperature swings the estate vineyards
experienced throughout the year. Cooler spring rains started the year off with a full, impressive canopy only to quickly dry out and warm up in the early summer. Multiple, intense heat events occurred throughout the years starting at flowering, then another one during fruit-set, and another one at veraison and again at harvest. The heat spikes slowed maturity and kept berry size small and concentrated. It was the equivalent to running 2 back-to-back marathons for our resilient little hillside vineyards. The vintage's underlying characteristics as a result are grace and elegance.