2020 - A year filled with challenges and opportunities
The 2020 vintage started ordinarily enough. Dormant pruning was completed in late January with a slight change in practice, selecting only one cordon per vine in Block B, the 777 clone of Pinot Noir. This was done in an attempt to control the yield and sync up ripening with the Pommard block of Pinot Noir, which was left with two cordons per vine.
February brought creation of this website and our first foray into creating biochar from the prunings.
As you all are aware, March was an auspicious month in Oregon and around the world as Governor Kate Brown declared a state of emergency in the state of Oregon to help fight the COVID-19 global pandemic. Social distancing measures would soon follow.
Bud break occurred on April 15, slightly earlier than recent years. This would set in motion the timing of flowering, that arrived around June 12. The Willamette Valley experienced cooler than normal temperatures and some showers that would ultimately affect flowering and fruit set, resulting in lower than average yields in our vineyard and others throughout the region.
In early September, Oregon experienced record wildfires with smoke blown into the Willamette Valley. Though we did experience several days of smoke in the Northern Willamette Valley, we were a good distance from the actual fires. Proximity to wildfires appears to be an important risk factor for development of smoke taint in wine grapes. Fortunately, we did not detect any obvious effects of the smoke in our fruit. Sadly, some vineyards in the Willamette Valley were not so lucky with several vineyards choosing not to harvest, or unable to sell their fruit.
The weather in September and October was ideal. On October 2, we harvested Block B (the Pinot Noir 777 clone), as well as 10 rows of Block A (the Pinot Noir Pommard clone) that was left heavier with fruit to allow a lower Brix level at harvest These rows were used in our first sparkling wine, Rose' de Noirs, a rose' made from 100% Pinot Noir. The Pinot Gris was also harvested on October 2. The remaining Pinot Noir Pommard clone in Block A was left to hang until October 9 to allow further ripening and a final Brix of 24.5. The yields were about 1/2 to 2/3 of recent years. This will, obviously, lead to less wine, but resulted in wonderfully ripe fruit with thick skins which is the foundation for beautiful wine, with huge fruit characteristics, rich tannins and lovely aromatics.
This year also brings a momentous change at Shumaker Vineyards, as we embark on creating wine for our own label. The first wine made available under the Shumaker Vineyards label will be a refreshing sparkling wine, the 2020 Rose' de Noirs, a rose' made from 100% single block Pinot Noir. This will be available for purchase just in time to ring in the Holidays. The 2020 Pinot Gris will then be bottled in early January, while the 2020 Pinot Noir will age in barrel until early 2022. The 2019 Shumaker Vineyards Pinot Noir will be bottled in February or March 2021, rounding out our three bottle offerings. Be sure to check back frequently to purchase these wines as they become available, or contact me directly to put in your orders.
Though 2020 has been a year filled with sorrow and challenges, it looks to be a vintage capable of producing some spectacular wines. Only time will tell.
