2015 Willamette Valley / Oregon Vintage

2015 opened warm and stayed that way. The Oregon Wine Board reported warm winter conditions that continued through spring and summer, and described the year as another extraordinary, nearly ideal growing season. Bud break came in March, two to three weeks earlier than normal depending on region and site. Higher than normal spring temperatures created exceptional conditions for bloom, flower and fruit set, carrying the early trend forward from bud break. As spring gave way to summer, conditions stayed warmer than usual, and grape clusters came in far larger than typical as a result. This was the hottest year in recorded Oregon history at the time. Light, scattered showers arrived in late August, and a return to more normal weather patterns in September gave the vines a break after an intense stretch. Most growers responded by slowing ripening down, leaving extra fruit hanging on the vine through the warm weather so it matured more gradually into September. Harvest came early across the state, starting around August 26, one of the earliest on record at the time. In the Willamette Valley, Capital Press reported picking starting September 8, the earliest in 36 years, and running through October 20, with WillaKenzie Estate starting as early as September 2. The Oregon Wine Board reported Willamette Valley vineyards and wineries largely finished by the end of September into early October. The crop was large. Oregon recorded 84,949 tons statewide, a record, up 8 percent on 2014. Willamette Valley yields of three to four tons per acre were observed, well above the two to two and a half tons per acre that was typical around 2001, a long-run trend rather than a single-season spike.

• Warm winter conditions carried through spring and summer in what the Oregon Wine Board called a nearly ideal growing season
• Bud break arrived in March, two to three weeks earlier than normal depending on region and site
• Higher than normal spring temperatures produced exceptional bloom and fruit set, and clusters ran far larger than typical
• The hottest year in recorded Oregon history at the time, broken by light scattered showers in late August and more normal September weather
• Statewide harvest started around August 26; Willamette Valley picking ran September 8 to October 20 per Capital Press
• Oregon brought in a record 84,949 tons, up 8 percent on 2014, with Willamette Valley yields of three to four tons per acre

For a year that hot, the fruit came in remarkably clean. The Oregon Wine Board reported that conditions from bud break through harvest produced virtually pristine fruit, with minimal signs of disease and no notable pest or bird pressure. The one exception was sunburn. Some vineyard sites experienced sunburnt grapes during the hot stretch, which is the kind of damage a season like this concentrates in exposed fruit rather than spreading evenly across the valley.

• Growing conditions from bud break through harvest produced virtually pristine fruit with minimal disease signs
• No notable pest or bird pressure was reported across the season
• Some vineyard sites experienced sunburnt grapes during the hot stretch

2015 was the second consecutive vintage to combine high yields with high quality. The extra hang time that growers bought themselves by leaving fruit on the vine let flavor develop to an extraordinary degree while staying harmoniously balanced against acids, according to the Oregon Wine Board. Whites were described as fully ripe and texturally rich yet balanced, with concentration and suppleness noted across the vintage. Decanter's survey of producers at harvest characterized the crop as stellar.

• The second consecutive vintage of high yields and high quality in Oregon
• Extra hang time let flavor develop while staying balanced against acids, per the Oregon Wine Board
• Whites came in fully ripe, texturally rich and balanced, with concentration and suppleness across the vintage
• Decanter's producer survey at harvest called it a stellar crop