2013 Willamette Valley / Oregon Vintage

The 2013 vintage opened with exceptional promise. Bud break arrived earlier than usual across most of Oregon's wine regions, and shoot growth by mid-May was measurably ahead of prior years, putting the crop well ahead in development from the start. A long, warm summer followed, with the fruit tracking steadily toward an early harvest. What looked like an uneventful season turned dramatic when the remnants of Typhoon Pabuk swept into western Oregon in late September, hammering the Willamette Valley with more than four inches of precipitation between September 22 and October 3. After the rains cleared, October brought one of the warmest and driest stretches on record, offering growers a vital second chance.

• Early bud break and warm summer established a vintage that was tracking ahead of schedule into September
• Late September rain event (Typhoon Pabuk remnants) dropped over 4 inches on the heart of Willamette Valley between Sept. 22 and Oct. 3
• October's warm, dry weather gave producers who waited a golden opportunity for extended hang time and exceptional phenolic development
• Oregon Wine Press described the vintage as 'a play in two acts, with a wet intermission'

The 2013 harvest became a study in vineyard management and timing. Producers who picked before September 22 secured ripe, generous fruit from an idyllic growing season. Those caught by the rains faced intense sorting pressure in the field and at the sorting table, with close attention required throughout fermentation. A third group waited through October's warm weather and was rewarded with brilliant, fully ripened fruit. As one mid-Willamette Valley grower noted, late fruit hung long in excellent conditions, producing outstanding whites and reds. Ken Wright, whose wines draw from across northern Willamette Valley, reported that his wines showed clean, balanced, fruit-forward character despite the season's turbulence.

• Early pickers (before Sept. 22): generous, fully ripe wines from an idyllic pre-rain growing season
• Mid-season pickers (caught by rains): required rigorous field sorting and close cellar attention to succeed
• Late pickers (October): benefited from extended hang time and exceptional dry conditions to produce brilliant fruit
• Pinot Gris and early-picked Pinot Noir were the most consistently successful varieties in Willamette Valley

The effects of the September rain varied considerably across the valley. Northern Willamette Valley producers faced the most challenging conditions but largely managed through them. The Chehalem Mountains saw strong results in key blocks harvested a week or two after the rain event, gaining from extended hang time and protection from botrytis. Yamhill-Carlton, positioned in a rain shadow from the Coast Range, is structurally one of the warmer and drier AVAs in the valley, which helped it weather the late moisture. Ribbon Ridge demonstrated particular brilliance, with Bergström's Le Pré du Col landing on Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2015. Southern Oregon was far less affected by the rains and many producers there described the 2013 season as close to ideal.

• Yamhill-Carlton: rain-shadow position from the Coast Range offered natural protection from late moisture
• Ribbon Ridge: standout subregion; Bergström Le Pré du Col earned 95 points Wine Spectator, #14 Top 100 of 2015
• Chehalem Mountains: key blocks harvested after the rain event showed beautiful protection from botrytis
• Southern Oregon: far less affected by Typhoon Pabuk; many Rogue Valley growers described near-perfect conditions

As the wines developed in bottle, 2013 built a strong critical reputation. Decanter called it one of the region's best ever vintages. Bergström's 2013 Le Pré du Col Vineyard Pinot Noir from Ribbon Ridge earned 95 points from Wine Spectator and was ranked #14 on their Top 100 Wines of 2015, demonstrating the ceiling of quality achievable from a site-focused producer in this vintage. Domaine Drouhin Oregon's 2013 Laurène, the estate's flagship Pinot Noir sourced entirely from the Dundee Hills, impressed with its vibrancy and restraint, allowing the detail of the vintage to show through. The CellarTracker community awarded the 2013 Laurène an average of 90.8 points across 59 reviews.

• Bergström 2013 Le Pré du Col Pinot Noir (Ribbon Ridge): 95 points Wine Spectator, #14 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2015
• Domaine Drouhin Oregon 2013 Laurène Pinot Noir (Dundee Hills): vibrant and restrained, CellarTracker community average 90.8 points
• Willamette Valley Vineyards 2013 Vintage 40 Pinot Noir: honored the 40th vintage of Tualatin Estate vines, praised for elegance
• Decanter: called 2013 'one of the region's best ever vintages,' noting September rains forced patience that ultimately paid off

The 2013 Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs were characterized by strong textural qualities, clear site expression, and excellent food compatibility. Fullerton Wines described the vintage as producing wines with 'nice flavor development and elegance' suited to short to mid-term aging potential. The Willamette Valley Wineries association noted the Pinot Noirs are unusually textural, capable of clear site expression, and built to work as food wines throughout their drinking lives. Wines from elite single-vineyard producers with the best hang times will have aged gracefully into their second decade, while regional and mid-tier expressions are best consumed now if not already enjoyed.

• Single-vineyard Pinot Noirs from top producers: well-structured examples offering rewarding drinking into the late 2020s
• Regional and mid-tier Pinot Noirs: best consumed now; fruit-forward examples from earlier picks have peaked
• Chardonnay and Pinot Gris: Chardonnay was less impacted by the September rains; better examples still drinking well
• Vintage character: unusually textural Pinots with good site expression, built for food compatibility

The 2013 vintage produced a wide range of styles depending entirely on harvest timing. Early picks delivered generous, fruit-forward wines with immediate appeal. Wines from the mid-harvest window, caught by the rains, tended to be lighter and more delicate, requiring careful cellar work. Late-harvest wines from October, after the prolonged Indian Summer set in, showed the most complexity and elegance, with phenolic ripeness achieved at moderate alcohol levels. As Oregon Wine Press noted, wines across the vintage displayed a common quality of understated excellence in acids, pH, tannins, and flavor extraction, with no extremes in either direction.

• Early picks: generous, ripe, fruit-forward with immediate appeal; good balance at moderate alcohol
• Mid-harvest (rain-affected): lighter, more delicate; required rigorous sorting to achieve clean, balanced wines
• Late-harvest (October): most complex and elegant, with extended hang time yielding phenolic ripeness at restrained alcohol
• Across all styles: vintage defined by moderate acids, integrated tannins, and strong terroir expression