Artesa Pinot Noir Carneros

The 2014 Vintage In the beginning of our growing season the drought was a main concern. The 2013/2014 winter was one of the driest on record in California and rainfall totals in the Napa Valley were approximately half of normal. However the timing of the late rains through February and April let our vineyard team relax a little as the vines received a much needed drink of water as they were emerging from dormancy and about to begin bud break. This rainfall recharged our soil and provided enough water to fill the reservoirs. Furthermore the spring was warm allowing us to save water if needed for irrigation rather than using it for frost protection. As summer began our vineyards already had full canopies and full clusters. Veraison when the skins of the grapes change color typically occurs in late July; but this year we saw the changing color occur much sooner. And finally while the vines used for high-quality wine production generally don’t need much water a benefit of the dro