Allegrowines

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The year started off early, one of the earliest on record for both Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Where is past early year (like 2002 and 2005), 2007 did not have a prolonged cool spell that slowed the vines. Instead, they raced up the trellis, eager to set fruit. When the June heat set in, fruit set went through in record time. We had high humidity levels, but with so little rain disease was hardly a concern. Nonetheless, we were vigilant as always. July and August were drier than dry. We had one stretch of six weeks without a drop of rain. Wonderful weather for ripening grapes, but we did start to notice the toll on the vines. Veraison (the color change phase for the berries) was not occurring as rapidly as we had hoped. The vines were starting to show stress from the drought conditions, and I was torn between praying for rain and praying for heat. We got more heat. When going into harvest, we know that September and October make or break a year. Growing grapes is like walking a tightrope. To have a good or great vintage, all the pieces have to fit together perfectly from start to finish. A wet September and you fall off the tightrope and struggle to produce good wines, knowing that great wines are out of your reach. In 2007, September and October were glorious.

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