2002 Willamette Valley / Oregon Vintage
A dry winter and spring, a summer of warm days and cool nights without heat spikes, and an inch of September rain that pulled the numbers back into balance.
Winter and spring 2002 were unusually dry in Oregon, 10 to 15 inches below normal rainfall, and bud break came slightly early. Bloom and set passed without problems. A high pressure pattern kept rain far offshore, and through most of the summer warm days and cool nights held daily temperatures between 40 and 80 degrees F, giving excellent heat summations but not heat spikes. An inch of rain in mid to late September corrected imbalanced high sugars and low pH. Harvest for Pinot Noir ran well over a month, and growers harvesting in mid to late October produced the better balanced, riper wines. The Willamette Valley Wineries Association calls 2002 possibly one of the best two or three vintages Oregon has seen, perhaps the best ever for whites.
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Open the appGrowing season
2002 came in dry. Winter and spring were unusually dry in Oregon, 10 to 15 inches short of normal rainfall, and bud break arrived slightly early. Bloom and set passed without problems. A high pressure pattern kept the rain far offshore, and through most of the summer the routine was warm days and cool nights, with daily temperatures between 40 and 80 degrees F. The growing season delivered excellent heat summations, but not heat spikes. In early September some shriveling of the fruit appeared, and a few growers harvested early. Growers who waited for rain to perk up the grapes were rewarded when light rains were followed by dry, cool weather. An inch of rain in mid to late September corrected imbalanced high sugars and low pH and set up an extended Pinot Noir harvest of well over a month; for many, harvest stretched over four to five weeks. Those harvesting in mid to late October produced the better balanced, riper wines. Crop loads were full and required precise green harvesting for full ripeness and extraction.
- Winter and spring ran 10 to 15 inches below normal rainfall
- Slightly early bud break, with no problems at bloom or set
- High pressure kept rain offshore; daily temperatures ranged 40 to 80 degrees F with warm days and cool nights
- Excellent heat summations without heat spikes
- An inch of rain in mid to late September corrected imbalanced high sugars and low pH
- Some early September shriveling pushed a few growers to pick early
- Those harvesting in mid to late October made the better balanced, riper wines
- Full crop loads required precise green harvesting; for many, harvest ran four to five weeks
- Winter and spring 2002 were unusually dry in Oregon, with 10 to 15 inches less rainfall than normal
- Bud break was slightly early, and bloom and set passed without problems
- A high pressure pattern kept rain far offshore, and daily temperatures ranged between 40 and 80 degrees F through most of the summer
- Warm days and cool nights gave excellent heat summations but not heat spikes
- An inch of rain in mid to late September corrected imbalanced high sugars and low pH
- Pinot Noir harvest extended well over a month, and for many growers harvest stretched over four to five weeks
- The Willamette Valley Wineries Association rates 2002 as possibly one of Oregon's best two or three vintages, perhaps the best ever for whites and close to the best for reds
Style and reputation
Moderate temperatures through the growing season and harvest left excellent acidities, making 2002 a richly ripe but structured vintage for whites and reds alike. The Willamette Valley Wineries Association ranks 2002 as possibly one of the best two or three vintages Oregon has seen, perhaps the best ever for whites and close to the best for reds. Decanter called it a particularly good year for Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, ripe and fruity with balancing acidity, and consistent throughout the entire valley. Decanter also rated it a good vintage in the Rogue Valley.
- Moderate temperatures through the season and harvest left excellent acidities in both whites and reds
- The Willamette Valley Wineries Association ranks 2002 as possibly among Oregon's best two or three vintages, perhaps its best ever for whites
- Decanter describes the Pinot Noir as ripe and fruity with balancing acidity, consistent throughout the entire Willamette Valley, and rates the Rogue Valley good too
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Decanter's best producers for the 2002 vintage were Domaine Serene, Domaine Drouhin, Ken Wright Cellars, Argyle, Ponzi, Sokol Blosser, Torii Mor, Brick House, Elk Cove and Chehalem.
- Domaine Serene, Domaine Drouhin, Ken Wright Cellars, Argyle, Ponzi, Sokol Blosser, Torii Mor, Brick House, Elk Cove and Chehalem
- Winter and spring 2002 were unusually dry, 10 to 15 inches below normal rainfall, with a slightly early bud break and no problems at bloom and set.
- A high pressure pattern kept rain offshore through most of the summer, with daily temperatures between 40 and 80 degrees F, giving excellent heat summations but no heat spikes.
- An inch of rain in mid to late September corrected imbalanced high sugars and low pH; growers harvesting in mid to late October produced the better balanced, riper wines.
- Crop loads were full and needed precise green harvesting, Pinot Noir harvest ran well over a month, and for many growers harvest stretched over four to five weeks.
- The Willamette Valley Wineries Association ranks 2002 as possibly one of Oregon's best two or three vintages, perhaps its best ever for whites, with excellent acidities in whites and reds.
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