2018 Willamette Valley / Oregon Vintage

The run-up to 2018 was uneven: a warm November 2017, a cold December, then a warm January. February and March cooled down and brought enough rain to slow the vines and put soil moisture in the ground heading into spring. A slightly wet and cooler April delayed bud break, but bloom and veraison caught up quickly and ended up close to average timing across the state. The early months of the season were uneventful, with bud break and bloom progressing smoothly. Then the heat settled in. May, June, July and August were very warm statewide, as much as 6.3 degrees F above average in Milton-Freewater. Across four key winegrowing regions tracked by climatologist Dr. Greg Jones of the Evenstad Center for Wine Education at Linfield College, growing-season temperatures ran 1.4 to 2.3 degrees F above normal and heat accumulation came in roughly 5 percent above average. Rain was scarce all year: dormant-season rainfall ran 1 to 43 percent below average and growing-season rainfall 14 to 58 percent below average depending on region. May was dry by Oregon standards, and there was little to no rain over a summer that was also unusually sunny. Crucially, temperatures stayed in the low to mid 90s F with few heat spikes, so heat stress was less widespread than in 2017. By mid-September the vines were weary from sun and lack of water and began shutting down as ripening stalled, and growers grew concerned. Then about a half inch of rain arrived and revived the stressed vines, followed by roughly two weeks of cool nights and warm but not blistering days. Argyle winemaker Nate Klostermann said that cooling kind of saved us. As temperatures warmed again, harvest moved into a fast, compact pace for both whites and reds. Low rainfall from late September into October let winemakers manage harvest on their own schedule rather than racing weather, and harvest overall was slow and steady with fruit composition well dialed in, sugar, acidity and pH all close to average. It was one of the largest Oregon harvests on record, with preliminary statewide vineyard data indicating production up 5 to 15 percent over 2017. Ken Wright of Ken Wright Cellars counted 2018 as the fifth year in a row of favorable Willamette Valley growing-season weather.

• A warm November, cold December and warm January gave way to cooler, wetter February and March that put soil moisture in the ground
• A slightly wet, cooler April delayed bud break, but bloom and veraison caught up to close to average timing statewide
• May through August were very warm, 1.4 to 2.3 degrees F above normal across four tracked regions, with heat accumulation roughly 5 percent above average
• Growing-season rainfall ran 14 to 58 percent below average, and the summer was unusually sunny with few heat spikes
• By mid-September ripening stalled until about a half inch of rain revived the vines, followed by two weeks of cool nights and warm days
• Low late-September and October rainfall let winemakers pick on their own schedule; sugar, acidity and pH landed close to average
• One of the largest Oregon harvests on record, with statewide production expected up 5 to 15 percent over 2017

Wildfires burned in southern Oregon in July 2018 and then in British Columbia and eastern Washington in August. A haze of smoke hovered over large parts of the Willamette Valley for several days as a result. Winemakers reported that smoke taint did not appear to be an issue for Willamette Valley wines, with the caveat that it can be hard to identify early in winemaking. The acute smoke story of 2018 played out to the south. An important customer unexpectedly rejected Rogue Valley growers' fruit over potential fire-smoke characteristics, leaving the crop stranded. King Estate Winery and Willamette Valley Vineyards stepped in to test and purchase the grapes at full contracted rates, joined by Silvan Ridge Winery and The Eyrie Vineyards. Together they bought more than 140 tons from six growers for $323,750, roughly 7,500 cases, and made a Rogue Valley AVA Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Rose of Pinot Noir under the name Oregon Solidarity. For context on the year as a whole, 2018 was the eighth-warmest year on record for Oregon and the fourth-warmest on record for the planet, and the Pacific Northwest was drought-prone.

• Fires burned in southern Oregon in July 2018 and in British Columbia and eastern Washington in August
• A haze of smoke hovered over large parts of the Willamette Valley for several days
• Winemakers reported smoke taint did not appear to be an issue for Willamette Valley wines, though it can be hard to identify early
• Rogue Valley fruit rejected over potential smoke characteristics was bought at full contract rates by King Estate, Willamette Valley Vineyards, Silvan Ridge and The Eyrie Vineyards
• The Oregon Solidarity project covered more than 140 tons from six growers for $323,750, roughly 7,500 cases
• 2018 was the eighth-warmest year on record for Oregon and the fourth-warmest on record for the planet

The shape of 2018 was moderately warm days with cool nights, conditions reported throughout Oregon that year, which let the vines rest overnight and put their energy into fruit complexity and flavor. Harvest ran slow and steady with fruit composition well dialed in and sugar, acidity and pH all close to average. Ken Wright of Ken Wright Cellars called it a beautiful year. Josh Bergstrom of Bergstrom Wines said Oregon had never seen so much sunshine. Wright also drew the distinction that 2018 was not as hot overall as 2016 or 2017, but that throughout the summer it was crazy dry and crazy hot. Most vintners were pleased with their Pinot Noir from the vintage.

• Moderately warm days with cool nights let vines rest overnight and develop fruit complexity and flavor
• Sugar, acidity and pH all landed close to average off a slow, steady harvest
• Ken Wright called it a beautiful year; Josh Bergstrom said Oregon had never seen so much sunshine
• Wright noted 2018 was not as hot overall as 2016 or 2017, but that the summer was crazy dry and crazy hot
• Most vintners were pleased with their Pinot Noir from the vintage