2003 Washington State Vintage
Late-season heat pushed the fruit to flavor and structural ripeness, then a September cooling stretched harvest through late October.
The Washington State Wine Commission records that Washington winemakers and wine grape growers felt 2003 was among the best vintages in the state's history, particularly for red wine varieties. Hot weather hit late in the growing season and nudged the fruit to reach flavor and structural ripeness. Harvest began on September 2 at the state's warmest sites, Red Mountain and the Walla Walla Valley, and cool weather moving in on September 10 allowed extra hang time and extended picking through late October. The statewide crop was 108,500 tons. Decanter's vintage guide describes the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon as ripe yet well structured and the 2003 Merlot as very good quality with concentration and complexity.
Growing season
The documented picture of 2003 starts late. The Washington State Wine Commission records that hot weather hit late in the growing season, nudging the fruit to reach flavor and structural ripeness. Grape harvest began on September 2 at the state's warmest sites, Red Mountain and the Walla Walla Valley. Cool weather moved in on September 10, allowing extra hang time and flavor development, and that cooling extended harvest through late October. The statewide crop came in at 108,500 tons. No source consulted compares that figure to a trailing five-year average, and none records the winter, spring or bloom. The Wine Commission's own retrospective is the only detailed account of the season available, so the picture below is deliberately thin.
- Hot weather hit late in the growing season and pushed fruit to flavor and structural ripeness
- Harvest began September 2 at Red Mountain and the Walla Walla Valley, the state's warmest sites
- Cool weather moved in on September 10, allowing extra hang time and flavor development
- The September cooling extended harvest through late October
- The statewide crop was 108,500 tons
- The Washington State Wine Commission records that winemakers and wine grape growers felt 2003 was among the best vintages in state history, particularly for red wine varieties
- Hot weather hit late in the growing season, nudging the fruit to reach flavor and structural ripeness
- Harvest began on September 2 at the state's warmest sites, Red Mountain and the Walla Walla Valley
- Cool weather moved in on September 10, allowing extra hang time and flavor development
- The September 10 cooling extended harvest through late October
- The statewide crop was 108,500 tons
- Decanter's vintage guide describes 2003 Washington Cabernet Sauvignon as ripe yet well structured, and 2003 Merlot as very good quality with concentration and complexity
The wines
The Wine Commission records that Washington winemakers and wine grape growers felt 2003 was among the best vintages in the state's history, particularly for red wine varieties. Decanter's vintage guide is narrower but points the same way, describing the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon as ripe yet well structured and the 2003 Merlot as very good quality with concentration and complexity. The mechanism behind that read is the shape of the season: late heat to reach ripeness, then a cool September that let flavor keep developing without forcing the pick.
- Washington winemakers and growers rated 2003 among the best vintages in state history, particularly for reds
- Decanter describes the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon as ripe yet well structured
- Decanter describes the 2003 Merlot as very good quality with concentration and complexity
- Late heat plus a cool September is the combination the Wine Commission credits for flavor and structural ripeness
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See it in the WineShop- Hot weather hit late in the 2003 growing season and nudged the fruit to reach flavor and structural ripeness.
- Harvest began September 2 at the state's warmest sites, Red Mountain and the Walla Walla Valley; cool weather moved in September 10 and extended picking through late October.
- The statewide crop was 108,500 tons.
- The Washington State Wine Commission records that winemakers and growers felt 2003 was among the best vintages in state history, particularly for red varieties.
- Decanter's vintage guide calls the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon ripe yet well structured and the 2003 Merlot very good quality with concentration and complexity.
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