Farming can be stressful. Especially for wine grapes with high quality potential as you work at the whims of both Nature and the marketplace. And 2008 provided stress for several generations.

A cold, wet January was followed by a mild February and a very windy, cold March-April, with snow, fog, and killer frosts. We had only minimal losses from frost damage, but later learned that the cold had wounded many of the vines’ tender, growing shoot tips (these are your stem cells) so their vascular structures were impaired, interrupting the orderly flow of nutrients. This led to very uneven maturation and ripening in 2008, which provided an intense challenge for thinning and at the sorting table.

But May was beeyoutoofull with clear skies, lovely weather, the calm Pacific nestling beneath the redwoods a few miles away: Ah! Life in Paradise! The crop set just fine around June 20. That night we awoke to a spectacular display of lightening: Northern California was on fire. The heat shot up and the winds fanned the flames. Heaven to Hell in a month! Our paradise was filled with smoke for a good ten days.

It was a year of contrast and contradictions: Blocks that were routinely picked early came in late; tiny berries nestled next to large ones, some green and some ripe. Sorting in the field was akin to a ninja exercise. July saw intermittent heat and smoke. Veraision kicked off on July 12. August was hot/cold/clear/foggy-smoky. When it hit 100 on the 27th, the harvest was at hand. We started on the 31st and picked for a week in record heat. It cooled off radically on the 8th and we finished up on September 16. Thirty-eight individual lots were fermented to provide small batches of site-specific wines for our pinot cuvees.

Of course, out of this cauldron of chaos came spectacular wines. Dark plum and smoked meat fruit flavors are bound to our classic complex of acids and expressive tannins. The result is dark, lusty complete wines that combine the wonderful fruit of our ‘06’s with the structure of the 2007’s to make a comprehensive and profound expression of the site. If you want terroir, you will get the whole hog, its sty, and even the lard with this wine.

The 2008 Bohan Dillon – The Family Blend is a mailing list only release blended from six of our best barrels to show the essence of the vintage and reward our loyal customers. Tasting notes and details are on the Hirsch Wines and Buy Wines links.

“The 2008 Hirsch Chardonnay offers a clear look-see of the vintage and the site. 100% estate fruit from our four acres of chardonnay. Check out the notes on the Hirsch Wines and Buy Wines links.”