2005 Washington State Vintage

A mild winter and a warm spring opened 2005 and led to a relatively early and heavy fruit set, according to the Washington State Wine Commission. The hot summer that followed rapidly accelerated ripening. Wine Spectator reported that winemakers sweating out that heat worried their grapes would ripen without fully developed flavors, and that they caught a break when temperatures cooled in September and October. Doug Gore, who oversees winemaking for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and works with fruit from around the state, told the magazine the cooling really saved their bacon, particularly for the white varieties. The Wine Commission credits the same September and October cooling for extended hang time and flavor development. On volume the record is not clean. The commission's 30-year overview lists 2005 at 110,000 tons and cites 116,760 tons harvested within the same entry, while Wine Spectator, writing in December 2005, described the overall crop as slightly smaller than the previous year's. No source consulted gives harvest start or end dates for 2005, records a dated weather event such as frost or smoke, or compares the crop to a trailing five-year average.

• A mild winter and warm spring produced a relatively early and heavy fruit set
• A hot summer rapidly accelerated ripening and had winemakers worried flavors would lag behind sugar
• September and October cooled significantly, allowing extended hang time and flavor development
• Doug Gore of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates credited that cooling with saving the vintage, particularly for the whites
• The Wine Commission's overview lists 110,000 tons and also cites 116,760 tons harvested; Wine Spectator called the crop slightly smaller than the previous year's

Wine Spectator's report card is the most granular account of what worked. Doug Gore called Chardonnay dynamite, said the floral whites, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Chenin Blanc, were very good, and said Sauvignon Blanc was looking pretty good. Among the reds he was encouraged by Syrah and Merlot, but flagged that Cabernet grown in cool regions may not have received the late-season heat it needed to reach full maturity. Chris Upchurch of DeLille Cellars, who takes much of his fruit from Red Mountain in the Yakima Valley, said the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot might rival the highly regarded 1994 vintage and described really concentrated and extracted fruit.

• Chardonnay was the standout white, with Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Chenin Blanc rated very good
• Sauvignon Blanc was looking pretty good in early assessments
• Syrah and Merlot were encouraging; Cabernet from cooler sites may have lacked the late-season heat for full maturity
• Red Mountain fruit was really concentrated and extracted, and DeLille's Chris Upchurch compared the reds to 1994

The Wine Commission's summary of 2005 is highly concentrated, intensely colored red wines alongside ripe yet expressive white wines, which matches the two-phase season: heat for density, then cooling for flavor and freshness. Decanter's vintage guide adds that winemakers reported small grape clusters with intense color, balance and ripe flavors in the Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine Spectator, grading the year in December 2005, gave Washington a B and said the year turned out to be good for all of the state's key wine appellations.

• The Wine Commission describes highly concentrated, intensely colored reds and ripe yet expressive whites
• Decanter reports small grape clusters with intense color, balance and ripe flavors in Cabernet Sauvignon
• Wine Spectator graded the vintage B and called it good for all of Washington's key wine appellations
• Heat for density and a cool fall for flavor is the pattern behind the vintage's character