Vintages

2016 Willamette Valley / Oregon Vintage

A warm spring pushed bud break weeks early, then a moderate summer and an unhurried autumn made one of Oregon's calmest harvests on record.

2016 continued the trend of the prior two vintages toward earlier timing statewide. An unusually warm spring brought bud break two to four weeks earlier than normal, then a short heat spell at bloom condensed flowering and cut fruit set for most producers. Summer was average with fewer heat spikes than 2014 or 2015, which gave smaller berries and higher flavor concentration, and cooler September and October temperatures pulled Growing Degree Day accumulation back between the 2013 and 2014 totals. Willamette Valley vineyards and wineries were largely finished by the end of September into early October, one of the earliest harvests on record, with little sign of troubling rain.

See Willamette Valley vintage weather →

Growing season

2016 carried on the trend of the prior two vintages toward earlier timing across Oregon. An unusually warm spring brought bud break two to four weeks earlier than normal, and flowering followed early. A short heat spell at bloom condensed the flowering period and left most producers with a smaller fruit set. Even so, because flowering came so early, the overall growing season ran as long as or longer than usual, reaching as much as 110 days at some sites. Summer then settled into average conditions with fewer heat spikes than 2014 or 2015, which produced smaller berries and a higher concentration of flavors. August ran warmer than normal in most areas and pushed the early vintage along, but cooler September and October temperatures pulled Growing Degree Day accumulation in the western valleys back to somewhere between the 2013 and 2014 totals, below the hotter 2014 and 2015 pace despite the early start. Autumn was warm and steady with little sign of troubling rain, so harvest proceeded without weather pressure. Willamette Valley vineyards and wineries were largely finished by the end of September into early October, one of the earliest harvests on record and part of a trio of records for bud break, flowering and harvest timing. On crop size, producers reported a mix of higher and lower than normal yields depending on region and on weather during fruit set, with total production expected to land closer to normal for Oregon than the two large harvests that preceded it.

Bud break arrived two to four weeks earlier than normal after an unusually warm spring
A short heat spell at bloom condensed flowering and cut fruit set for most producers
Early flowering still left a growing season as long as or longer than usual, up to 110 days at some sites
Summer was average with fewer heat spikes than 2014 or 2015, giving smaller berries and more concentration
Cooler September and October left Growing Degree Day totals between the 2013 and 2014 figures
Willamette Valley harvest largely finished end of September into early October, one of the earliest on record
Yields ran mixed by region and were expected to average out closer to normal than the large 2014 and 2015 crops

Key Facts

An unusually warm spring brought bud break two to four weeks earlier than normal across Oregon
A short heat spell at bloom condensed the flowering period and produced a smaller fruit set for most producers
Summer was average with fewer heat spikes than 2014 or 2015, giving smaller berry size and higher concentration of flavors
Cooler September and October temperatures left Growing Degree Day accumulation in the western valleys between the 2013 and 2014 totals
Oregon's autumn was warm and steady with little sign of troubling rain, so harvest proceeded without weather pressure
Willamette Valley harvest was largely finished by the end of September into early October, one of the earliest on record, part of a trio of records for bud break, flowering and harvest timing
Producers reported a mix of higher and lower than normal yields by region, expected to average out closer to normal after the large 2014 and 2015 crops

An unhurried harvest

The thing winemakers kept coming back to about 2016 was how little the weather asked of them. Oregon's autumn was warm and steady with little sign of troubling rain, and by the first week of October many Willamette Valley winemakers had already finished picking, with most wines in barrel and fermentations completed weeks earlier. Sashi Moorman of Evening Land Vineyards reported no weather pressure at all. Rollin Soles of Roco put it more plainly, saying the vintage was mellow enough that he did the whole thing in a Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops. The fruit matched the mood: the 2016 vintage brought in practically immaculate grapes with few signs of disease, pest or bird effects.

By the first week of October many Willamette Valley winemakers had finished picking, with fermentations completed weeks earlier
Sashi Moorman of Evening Land Vineyards reported no weather pressure during the vintage
Rollin Soles of Roco said the vintage was mellow enough that he did the whole thing in a Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops
Fruit came in practically immaculate, with few signs of disease, pest or bird effects

Ad hidden for this session.

From the WineShop

Open one bottle, taste it for weeks.

A Coravin lets you pour a glass without pulling the cork, which is how I taste a producer across vintages without opening the whole rack. The Pivot+ is the one I recommend first. $199.

See it in the WineShop

Wine style

Despite the early, intense start, fruit statewide showed concentration and complexity with the natural acidity that is characteristic of Oregon. Winemakers framed the run of vintages as a progression: 2014 ripe and opulent, 2015 ripe but less opulent and more cellar-worthy, and 2016 showing more aromatic lift and less tannin, more elegant, with some comparing it stylistically to 2006, a warm year that came out with more finesse than expected. Dick Shea of Shea Vineyards noted that 2016 berries were small like 2015, but fermentations showed more aromatic lift and less tannin. Sashi Moorman described wines that were bright and expressive and already showing completeness out of barrel.

Fruit statewide showed concentration and complexity with characteristic natural acidity
Winemakers read 2016 as more elegant than 2015, with more aromatic lift and less tannin, and some compared it to 2006
Dick Shea of Shea Vineyards found 2016 berries small like 2015 but fermentations with more lift and softer tannin
Sashi Moorman reported bright, expressive wines already showing completeness from barrel

Food Pairings

Roast chicken with mushrooms and thymeCedar-planked salmon with a simple herb rubDuck breast with cherriesMushroom and hazelnut tartPork loin with roasted apples and sage

Exam Study NotesWSET / CMS

An unusually warm spring brought 2016 bud break two to four weeks earlier than normal, continuing the early trend of the prior two vintages statewide.
A short heat spell at bloom condensed flowering and cut fruit set for most producers, which is the origin of the vintage's smaller berries and higher concentration.
Summer was average with fewer heat spikes than 2014 or 2015, and cooler September and October temperatures left Growing Degree Day accumulation between the 2013 and 2014 totals.
Willamette Valley harvest was largely finished by the end of September into early October, one of the earliest on record, and part of a trio of records for bud break, flowering and harvest timing.
Style read: more aromatic lift and less tannin than 2015, described as more elegant, with some winemakers comparing it to 2006. Yields ran mixed by region and were expected to land closer to normal than 2014 and 2015.

Take your wine study further

Flashcards, blind tastings, and a tasting journal in the Wine with Seth app.

Try the app free