23 May 2023 Vintage Review

2023 Vintage Review
Here it is May, and I am past due updating on the 2023 Vintage here in Washington. Already we have bottled four wines from 2023: Oriana, Abracadabra Rosé, Désir, our new Semillon + Sauvignon Blanc Blend, and Riesling. I am very excited about the white and Rosé wines from 2023, great acid balance, flavors, and aromas. We should be remembering them for years to come. On the red wine side, I have just started the blending of the 2023 reds with a couple of days on Solesce. Solesce is always the wine I start with because it gets the pick of the crop. Whatever Solesce wants, Solesce gets. Tasting through all the Bordeaux wines from 2023 shows a lot of winners. The resulting Solesce blend is delicious if a bit more approachable than I would have expected.

I have taken considerable notes on the wines for the rest of the vintage and there are many stellar wines indeed. Overall, nice color, expressive varietal character, and richness of mouthfeel. I am looking forward to working on the rest of the blends as the spring and summer progress always with the goal of getting them all done before harvest of 2024 begins.

A quick note on 2024: Seems to be a bit ahead of schedule. Winter freeze has taken its toll in a few spots but does not appear to have been significant in our vineyards. I have also heard at least one report of spring frost in the Yakima Valley. Smoke is already pouring into the Midwest from Canada, so we can only hope it will not turn into a big problem here. Every year has its unique challenges; let’s make more great wine!

Brian Carter
Winemaker