Vinous: 2017 yielded another exceptional harvest for Paso Robles
Vinous wine magazine calls the 2017 Paso Robles winegrape harvest another outstanding year, as local wineries begin releasing the vintage:
With the 2017s now comfortably in bottle, it’s apparent that Paso Robles has yet another outstanding vintage on deck. Courtesy of abundant rainfall in the winter that straddled 2016 and 2017 (the only vintage with more rain in the last 20 years was 2004/2005), groundwater levels were more-than-adequate to handle the hot, dry spring and summer that followed, including the brutal statewide heat spike of August. This was especially critical for conscientious producers who prefer, or are obliged, to work with dry-farmed sites.
Such was the severity of that August heat wave that many growers began picking grapes soon after it hit, out of fear that by the time it broke, the grapes would be in full raisin mode. But the gutsier (or crazier) producers chose to ride it out. That proved to be a smart move, as the weather cooled off quickly and stayed clement through September and into mid-October. There was plenty of time for growers to drop out any dried-out grapes before harvesting, and the resulting wines were made from fruit that attained, and showed, true phenolic ripeness, with a proper balance of acidity, pH and tannins. Unsurprisingly, the top producers in the region made the right call, which proves once again why they sit where they do atop the Paso hierarchy. “No guts, no glory and definitely some not-so-great fruit,” as one producer quipped.
–Read the full article at Vinous
About Vinous
Vinous is Antonio Galloni’s vision of a modern-day wine publication. Vinous’s team of renowned critics and writers offers in-depth coverage of new releases, retrospectives and verticals of older wines, videos with winemakers, interactive maps, restaurant recommendations and more, all published in a continual, daily stream of articles. WVinous has subscribers in over 80 countries and is one of the most respected wine publications in the world.
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