Winemaker’s Vintage Report 2024
Early Ripening, Exciting Results!
The dawn of harvest season always brings a blend of anticipation and excitement to the vineyard. After some last-minute fine-tuning and coordination at the winery, we made the call: it was time. In the early morning hours of August 26th, we kicked off the 2024 harvest with the arrival of our first pick of Dry Creek Valley Grenache grapes. The season was upon us, and with it, the promise of a bountiful and exceptional vintage!
Everything was running smoothly until a late July heatwave appeared in the forecast. Initially, we weren’t too concerned—water supplies were sufficient, and the vines were in excellent health. We assumed the unusual sampling results were just a fluke. But soon, the phone calls started coming in. Growers in Dry Creek Valley took their first berry samples to check baseline Brix levels and were surprised by the results.
Curious, we collected our own samples and were equally stunned to find that grape maturity was significantly ahead of schedule. After multiple confirmation samples and countless footsteps through the vineyard, we realized the 2024 crop was nearly ready for harvest — much earlier than expected.
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The steady weather and balanced crop load created ideal conditions, leading to an exciting, albeit unusual, overlap in varietal and regional ripening. Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache, Carignane, Mourvèdre, Zinfandel, Syrah, and Chardonnay — from Mendocino down through the Central Coast — all ripened simultaneously.
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Fortunately, with a lighter crop this season, the winery wasn’t as full as in previous years. This allowed us to schedule fruit processing in quick succession, with enough tank space to accommodate all our small lots and yeast experiments. It was no small feat, considering we only get one chance each year to test new yeast strains!
 This year has been anything but predictable. The season’s vinous rewards are safely in the cellar, but not without Mother Nature testing our resilience along the way. From unexpected ripening patterns to a fast-paced harvest, 2024 has kept us on our toes, making the triumph of this vintage all the more rewarding.
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With most of our fermentations now complete or nearing the finish line, we’re seeing vibrant varietal expression, balanced wine chemistry, and impressive depth across the board. The next few months will be busy as we focus on barrel racking, stirring the lees, blending, completing malolactic fermentation, and evaluating each lot to guide our farming decisions for the 2025 vintage. Join us in celebrating the success of another remarkable harvest! Cheers, Winemaker Ondine Chattan.
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