Jordan Wine Country Table - Vol. 19, 2024 - 14

The 2023 harvest
delivers exceptional
quality and quantity
in a chilly vintage
BY MAGGIE KRUSE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KENDALL BUSBY
LATE,
but WORTH THE WAIT
T
here aren't many years when nature provides both incredible
quality and healthy yields, but 2023 proved to be an exception.
It was also one of the latest harvests in recent memory.
A cool start to the growing season delayed growth, flowering,
and veraison in the vineyards. Normally, warmer temperatures in the
summer and fall allow the vines to " catch up " in terms of development
and ripening, but that didn't happen last year.
It was truly a vintage that tested the limits of our patience
as we waited for the grapes to mature, but we were richly rewarded
in the end with gorgeous flavors and beautiful balance due to the
cool, consistent growing season.
LATE HARVEST for CHARDONNAY
Jordan's winemaking team constantly monitors the weather during
harvest, and we were extra diligent in keeping track for our chardonnay
this year. The extra-slow ripening process had us on edge, but it was
well worth the wait for all those incredible flavors to come together.
Because the entire growing season was cooler than average-we
haven't seen a chillier one since 2010 or 2011-we began the 2023
harvest much later than normal. Jordan began picking chardonnay
on September 24, about three weeks behind 2022. This was one
of the latest starts for Russian River chardonnay in Jordan's history.
Rainfall at the end of September had us concerned about the
potential for botrytis in the vineyard, but our fantastic growers stayed
on top of it by opening the canopies to allow air flow after the rains.
In a few cases, they dropped fruit. These measures helped to ensure
pristine condition for all of the chardonnay delivered to our hopper.
We brought in the last whites on October 12, nearly a month
later than the previous year. Although we picked the fruit at
lower-than-average sugars, the flavors were beautifully mature and
concentrated, and acidity was both bright and lush. To our delight,
yields were average to above average in size-with no compromise
in quality.
14 THE DESIGN ISSUE
Jordan Wine Country Table - Vol. 19, 2024

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