February saw abundant rains, followed by lots of filtered light in spring and early summer. Both bud break and flowering occurred a bit late, but under ideal weather conditions, creating plentiful and even fruit set. Summer brought generous sun during the day and cooler marine influences and evenings—for which Napa Valley is known—virtually uninterrupted by any major heat spikes. This created a uniformity across vineyards allowing vintners to mark a slow, steady course in canopy management and other viticulture practices leading up to harvest. The relatively milder summer followed by extended fall sunshine and moderate heat created near-ideal conditions for winemakers to let their fruit accumulate flavor complexity along with a gradual increase in sugar levels. This day-by-day development of soft tannins & bright acids means that we have been able to slowly bring in the grapes at just the right moment, resulting in elegant, opulent, and perfectly ripe fruit.