Vineyard & Winery Management magazine
Grand Harvest Awards Winners

• Gold Medal
  • NV Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Blanc de Noirs
  • 2007 Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay
  • 2008 Nicholson Ranch Pinot Noir
• Silver Medal
  • 2007 Broadway Vineyards Merlot
  • 2006 Domaine Carneros Brut
  • 2007 Domaine Carneros Estate Pinot Noir
  • 2005 Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Blanc de Blancs
  • 1998 Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Carneros Cuvee
• Bronze Medal
  • 2007 Broadway Vineyards Chardonnay
  • 2007 Broadway Vineyards Syrah
  • 2008 Broadway Vineyards Chardonnay
  • NV Domaine Carneros Rose de la Pompadour
  • NV Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Va de Vi

California State Fair Winners

Best of California, Best of Class Sonoma Appellations

• 2007 Buena Vista Carneros Chardonnay
• 2005 Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Blanc de Blancs Brut

Best of Region Sonoma Appellations, Best of Class Sonoma Appellations

• 2006 Buena Vista Carneros Syrah Vineyard Series

Double Gold

• 2005 Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Blanc de Blancs Brut

Gold

• 2008 Leveroni Vineyards, Carneros Chardonnay
• 2006 Buena Vista Carneros Syrah Vineyard Series
• NV Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Blanc de Noirs Brut
• 2006 Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Brut Rosé

Silver

• 2008 ZD Wines Carneros 40th Anniversary Reserve Chardonnay
• 2007 Buena Vista Carneros Chardonnay
• 2006 Buena Vista Carneros Syrah
• 2002 Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Royal Cuvée Brut Vintage Reserve
• 1999 Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Carneros Cuvée Brut

Bronze

• 2007 Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Chardonnay
• 2007 Buena Vista Carneros Pinot Noir Vineyard Series
• ZD Wines, Norman C deLeuze Pinot Noir ZD Founder’s Reserve
• 2006 Buena Vista Carneros Merlot
• 2006 Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Merlot

National Women’s Wine Competition Winners

Silver Medal Winners

• 2007 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir
• 2004 Domaine Carneros Le Reve, Blanc de Blancs
• NV Domaine Carneros Cuvee de la Pompadour
• 2005 Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Blanc de Blancs
• NV Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Blanc de Noirs
• 2007 Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Estate Grown & Bottled Chardonnay
• 2006 Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Estate Grown & Bottled Pinot Noir

Bronze Medal Winners

• 2006 Domaine Carneros Brut
• 2006 Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Merlot
• 2008 Nicholson Ranch Los Carneros Pinot Noir
• 2001 Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards Vintage Reserve Royal Cuvee

2010 Vintage Report: United States

A first look at vintage quality in U.S. wine regions, with eyewitness reports from growers and winemakers

California: Carneros

Like much of Northern California, Carneros weathered a challenging year. Spring and early summer was rainy and cool, delaying budbreak and impeding flowering. As a result the crop was quite modest in size, particularly that of Pinot Noir. The dramatically foggy and cold weather continued through July. “Mildew pressure was high,” says David Graves of Saintsbury. “And when veraison was also late, the question was whether the weather would hold through harvest.”

Growers and winemakers didn’t have to wait until harvest for an answer. “After a summer of seemingly endless 73° to 80° F days, the end of August brought a blast of heat,” says Anne Moller-Racke of Donum Estate. "A practically unheard of 105° day was recorded in Carneros."

The heat further stunted the size of the Pinot, Chardonnay and Merlot crops. “Lots of ripening clusters, especially on the west side of grapevine canopies, were toasted and did not recover,” says Graves. Just to finish things off, the heat was followed by a severe rainstorm in late October that dramatically dropped temperatures.

Despite the challenges, winemakers say wine quality is promising, as long as wineries dropped or sorted out the damaged or unripe fruit. “The wines overall have good acidity and fine aromatic qualities, reflecting the overall cool season,” says Graves. “The early verdict: Anxiety rewarded by an elegant vintage, at least as it appears so far. Quantities are modest but quality is very high indeed."

—T.F.

California Chardonnays ~ Big names in Carneros

by MaryAnn Worobiec

At the top of this week’s list is David Ramey’s eponymous label. Ramey has made terrific wines at Matanzas Creek and Chalk Hill before starting his own label. Ramey’s signature balance of intensity and elegance is evident in both of his wines listed here, tapping grapes from some of the best-known vineyards in the area, Hudson and Hyde..."

RAMEY Chardonnay Napa Valley Carneros Hudson Vineyard 2007 Score: 92 | $60
Intense and vibrant, this shows full-bodied citrus, melon, pear and hazelnut flavors that turn subtle and offer hints of fig and tangerine, while maintaining its velocity. Drink now through 2014. 975 cases made. —J.L.

FERRARI-CARANO Chardonnay Napa Valley Carneros Reserve 2007 Score: 90 | $32
An elegant, delicate style, firm yet supple and focused, with a complex mix of ripe pear, spice, honeysuckle and melon, ending with a long, cleansing finish. Drink now through 2014. 5,800 cases made. —J.L.

HDV Chardonnay Napa Valley Carneros Hyde Vineyard 2007 Score: 90 | $60
Chablis-like for Carneros Chardonnay, this is firm and flinty, with citrus, lime, green apple and mineral notes that have a touch of petrol, ending with a juicy apricot edge. Drink now through 2014. 924 cases made. —J.L.

RAMEY Chardonnay Napa Valley Carneros Hyde Vineyard 2007 Score: 90 | $60
Clean and refreshing, with ripe, fresh, snappy citrus, green apple and pear flavors that are pure, focused, moderately rich and pleasantly cleansing, with a snappy minerality. Drink now through 2015. 1,795 cases made. —J.L.

CUVAISON Chardonnay Napa Valley Carneros S Block 2008 Score: 88 | $36
Rich and creamy, with orange peel, citrus, toasty oak, fig and apricot flavors that are full-bodied, if raw and pithy on the finish. Drink now through 2014. 884 cases made. —J.L.

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