2003 Willamette Valley / Oregon Vintage

The Willamette Valley Wineries Association calls 2003 an excellent vintage, albeit unusual in the fiery nature of the growing season, and the numbers back the adjective. Region II heat accumulations came to 2,500 units and average highs ran 78 degrees F from July all the way through October. Rainfall was half of normal, 2.75 inches for the season. The two sources frame the run-up differently and both readings are worth keeping. The association credits good pre-season winter rains with leaving adequate soil moisture. Decanter, looking at the same period, sees winter and spring continuing a streak of three low rainfall years, 10 to 13 inches short of normal, and records a few threats of spring frost that caused little recorded damage. Summer turned hot. Decanter describes August as an unusually warm month with several hot days by Oregon standards and a few heat spikes that ripened the fruit quickly, and notes the typical July rain showers simply did not arrive. Crop set was generous enough for easy honing to desired levels, and the fruit stayed disease free. Harvest was underway by mid September. As the warm spell held, wineries had to scramble to pick the fruit before it became over-ripe, and light showers fell during the pick, but most fruit was safely in the cellars by mid October.

• Region II heat accumulations of 2,500 units; average highs of 78 degrees F July through October
• Half the normal rainfall at 2.75 inches, with Decanter noting typical July showers did not arrive
• WVWA credits good pre-season winter rains for adequate soil moisture; Decanter frames the same period as a third low rainfall year, 10 to 13 inches below normal
• A few threats of spring frost caused little recorded damage, per Decanter
• August was unusually warm with several hot days and a few heat spikes that ripened fruit quickly
• Harvest began by mid September and wineries scrambled to beat over-ripeness; most fruit was in the cellars by mid October
• Fruit was disease free and crop set was generous enough to hone easily to target levels

A fiery season leaves a particular set of worries, and the Willamette Valley Wineries Association names them directly: high sugars, the high alcohols that follow from them, and low acids. Its own reassurance is a backward glance, suggesting a comparison to the excellent 1992 vintage. Decanter's assessment landed on the wines being richly ripe but structured, rated the vintage 4 out of 5, and gave a summary drinking recommendation of drink soon. Decanter also read a site effect that a cooler year would not have produced, pointing to the Willamette Valley and particularly its mature vineyards at higher elevation sites, alongside the Rogue Valley, as the appellations that handled the heat best. For cross-reference, the association notes elsewhere that 2003 was the only vintage in recent times warmer than 2006, as measured by heat unit accumulation.

• WVWA names high sugars, high resulting alcohols and low acids as the concerns, and offers the excellent 1992 vintage as a point of comparison
• Decanter rated the vintage 4 out of 5, describing the wines as richly ripe but structured, with a summary guidance of drink soon
• Decanter pointed to the Willamette Valley, especially mature vineyards at higher elevation sites, and the Rogue Valley as the best appellations of the year
• WVWA records 2003 as the only vintage in recent times warmer than 2006 by heat unit accumulation