2015 Washington State Vintage

The Washington State Wine Commission puts 2015 at the top of the record books as of that time, the state's warmest vintage, with above-average temperatures across the Columbia Valley throughout the growing season. The numbers are the clearest way to see it. The Columbia Valley averaged 3,157 growing degree days against a long-term average of 2,628. Red Mountain accumulated over 3,900 GDD, and even a cooler region like the Yakima Valley cleared 3,150. Sean P. Sullivan's Northwest Wine Report, drawing on WSU AgWeatherNet data, sets that in sequence: 2012 came in close to the 20-year historical average, 2013 ran roughly 200 GDD warmer than 2012, 2014 about 390 GDD warmer than 2013, and 2015 nearly 300 GDD warmer than 2014. Hot, hotter, hottest, three years running. Northwest Wine Report puts Red Mountain's 2015 total at 3,873 GDD, which on the Winkler Index sits alongside Catalunya in Spain at 3,845 and Alentejo in Portugal at 3,874. The heat moved the calendar. Bud break, bloom and veraison were accelerated by as much as several weeks versus historical norms, and harvest came forward with them. Growers were picking Riesling and other early varieties in mid August, historically early in a state where picking before Labor Day was once considered unusual. One winery had a quarter of its fruit in by the end of the first week of September, and was taking in Cabernet Sauvignon in mid September rather than the usual mid to late October. Some wineries finished harvest entirely by the third week of September. Northwest Wine Report cites one Cabernet Sauvignon lot picked a full month earlier than in the already-warm 2013 and 2014 vintages, at a full degree higher Brix than the prior year. The heat did not taper either. Unlike most vintages, where GDD accumulation levels off in October, in 2015 it kept climbing through the month, though most fruit was picked before the season's end. Washington harvested 222,000 tons, down from 227,000 in 2014.

• Warm temperatures accelerated bud break, bloom and veraison by as much as several weeks
• Columbia Valley averaged 3,157 GDD against a long-term average of 2,628; Red Mountain topped 3,900 and the Yakima Valley cleared 3,150
• WSU AgWeatherNet data cited by Northwest Wine Report puts 2015 nearly 300 GDD above 2014, which was about 390 above 2013
• Riesling and other early varieties were picked in mid August, historically early for Washington
• Some wineries finished harvest entirely by the third week of September; one had Cabernet Sauvignon in by mid September
• GDD accumulation kept climbing through October rather than leveling off
• Washington harvested 222,000 tons, down from 227,000 tons in 2014

The defining problem of 2015 was when to pull the trigger. Northwest Wine Report frames it as a needle that was hard to thread: pick too soon and you risked green, underripe fruit and underripe tannins; wait for more flavor development and softer tannins and you risked overripe fruit, lost acidity and a dried-out character. Tasting through the wines, the report found that it appeared challenging to get right, though many winemakers managed it. The failures went in both directions. Some 2015 Washington reds showed fruit that seemed underripe and herbaceous despite the hot vintage, while others showed considerably overripe aromas and flavors.

• Picking early risked green, underripe fruit and underripe tannins
• Waiting risked overripe fruit, lost acidity and a dried-out character
• Northwest Wine Report found the balance challenging to strike, though many winemakers managed it
• Faults ran both ways: some reds showed underripe, herbaceous character despite the heat, others were considerably overripe