Vintage Notes

By John Leo, Winemaker

2022

After a large crop in 2021 a mild following winter was welcome. The grapevines were able to rest and reserve their resources for the growing season ahead. When May brought warm temperatures bud break led to early steady canopy growth. A good start to a long season.

   There were some heavy rainfalls in June, when grapevines flower, but the rain came and passed quickly leading to little harm. Then the temperatures rose and stayed high through the summer, with dry conditions leading to drought warnings from forecasters. The vines thrived in this weather and drip irrigation ensured that the canopies never got too stressed out.

   Veraison is the beginning of the ripening process starting in mid August and we were grateful to have a mild September with cooler temperatures and only passing rains. Excellent conditions for ripening grapes. Sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, and cabernet franc for our sparkling wine were all hand harvested full of flavor. Then we entered October—vitally important for red wine grapes—and the remnants of Hurricane Ian that tore into western Florida impacted the East End of Long Island with several days of drizzle and fog. That was capped by a major rainstorm. Yoicks. Luckily this depression (both meteorological and emotional) was followed by nearly perfect cold, crisp nights and sunny days. The clusters dried out, the canopies continued their work and the fruit progressed toward full ripeness.

   Since we had diligently thinned the crop load  earlier in the season we were able to hand harvest beautifully ripe and full flavored merlot, cab franc and petit verdot in the third week of October. The spring’s early promise fulfilled. 2022 marks another great vintage for Clovis Point.

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2021

A relatively early bud break in late April was followed by a cool early May, so the vines only slowly built their canopies. Then came a heat spike and a rapid growth spurt. May ended with a huge downpour of over five inches of rain. But that just cleared the air for a mostly sunny and very warm June. The vines set an abundant amount of fruit which flourished during the very warm and occasionally stormy wet summer. Tropical storm Henri skirted the East End in late August bringing more rain and wind. Not welcome, but not as damaging as it could have been.

   We escaped another potential soaking in early September when Hurricane Ida’s remnants passed by to the west. Would the good luck continue until all the grapes were in? the short answer was yes. The autumn turned cool and mostly mild. Chardonnay and sauvignon blanc were hand harvested, clean and plentiful. Then after a pause to allow the red wine grapes to ripen we brought in merlot and cabernet franc right at the end of October. The clusters were full and clean and surprisingly tasty, given the large crop.

   We can’t ignore the warming climate and the changes it’s bring to the East End. For now those changes have been mostly a good thing for us grape growers. 

2019

Winter was mild for the most part, though April refused to act like the beginning of spring and stayed chilly and wet. But once the growing season began with May budbreak we were off and running. Of course we had the expected summer heat and thunderstorms-- and nearly constant humidity-- but September was kind, bringing us cooler nightime temperatures. Sauvignon blanc and chardonnay grapes came in remarkably flavorful. We went into the all important month of October guardedly optimistic... where rainstorms quickly reminded who was in charge. But then a sudden dip in temperatures on 10/4 began the ripening in earnest, and most of the month was nicely sunny and mild. Merlot, cab franc, and malbec were fully ripe when picked in late October. And waiting into November allowed us to harvest equally ripe petit verdot and cab sauvignon. This was a vintage to celebrate.

2018

A foot of snow in January, a super warm late April, a rainy and dreary May set us up for an anxious growing season. And so it turned out to be. A typically North Fork summer got our hopes up, but then September brought relentless drizzle and warm humidity. Ripening barely got started before the vine canopies deteriorated due to heavy disease pressure. We recognized the poor conditions wouldn't give us the flavors we always seek, so we chose not to bring in any chardonnay and harvested all of our cabernet franc and merlot grapes for rose' wine. A disappointing year to be sure, whose only consolation was a late October harvest of surprisingly tasty malbec-- a thick skinned grape that withstood the tribulations of the vintage and gave us a red to enjoy.

2017

Wide temperature swings and plenty of snow started off the year. Then April turned mild, even warm and an early budbreak soon followed. Being the East End of Long Island it wasn't going to a straight-forward growing season. Cool and wet May weather finally gave way to warm and sunny summer conditions in June. Grape cluster flowers opened on schedule, though the late varieties like cab sauvignon and petit verdot were hit by a heavy rainstorm reducing the potential crop. July and August brought the usual heat, sun, rain, humidity and growth. Luckily early September cooled off enough to signal the vines to start ripening before challenging humidity and gray skies returned. Then the pattern changed again and October offered sunnier, drier, cooler conditions. So even when a late month heavy rain plowed into the vineyards, the chilly nights minimized damage and allowed us to wait into November to harvest surprisingly healthy, ripe fruit. Not an easy vintage, but one worth waiting for... and worthy of Vintner's and Archeology level reds. 

2016

A severe winter and cool spring caused budbreak to be deeper in May than usual. Then progressively warmer temperatures into June led to a timely and full flowering of the vines, giving the potential for large clusters and a plentiful harvest. The summer months did their job of bringing sun and heat-- and of course, rainstorms- to keep the canopies growing. When September continued the warm and stormy trend we held our breath, waiting for the turn to cool weather to trigger ripening. We finally harvested flavor-filled chardonnay grapes in early October. The benevolent trend continued through the month with mostly mild sunny days and chilly nights allowing the large crops of merlot and cab franc to develop color and flavor. We harvested at the end of the month, happy to have solid material for our varietal reds... and understanding that this would not be a Vintner's Select kind of year.

2015

A cold, big rainstorm fell on May 1 at the beginning of the season, leading the superstitious among us to worry about bad omens. But then the sun broke through. The spring was sunnier than average and the summer was hot and mostly clear. The concerns cropped up again in mid September when the days and nights failed to cool off. When autumn finally kicked in, some major rains into October threatened the crop, but good healthy canopies and clusters resisted disease. Chardonnay and Rose grapes were harvested clean in early October sunshine. And when colder nights and Indian summer finally arrived in later October the reds finished ripening and were harvested low in acid, high in sugar, and bursting with flavor. An excellent vintage for those who had patience.

2014

The winter was very cold and long, pushing almost into May, and leading to a later than usual bud break. But then the winds shifted, warm weather arrived, and flowering came more or less on time in June. What seemed to be destined to be a late harvest, now gave us hope for normality. Summer once again brought lots of sun, very few rainy days, and steady warm temperatures keeping the vines healthy and progressing toward a strong veraison. Not just healthy clusters, but BIG clusters. September came as a gift — dry, sunny and warm with the nights cooling off enough to keep the grapes disease-free and steadily ripening. By the time the passing storms of October arrived the cool temperatures and strong winds kept the grapes clean and hearty. We brought in very tasty chardonnay in early October and merlot in mid October. The larger crop on the cabernet franc vines needed more time to fully ripen. They came in sweet and flavorful in early November. So it ended up being a late vintage after all... but one worth waiting for.

2013

After a wonderful 2012 we knew not to expect more gifts from the weather gods so soon. And when the spring came slowly and May trudged along in a damp and cool funk we thought we knew what we were in for. In the first two weeks of June, right before flowering, we had two major rain storms. The year was going from bad to worse. Boy were we wrong. From the beginnings of June until the end of October we experienced unbelievably good weather. Sunny and dry conditions during fruit set-- with the exception of two quickly passing thunderstorms that actually did affect the merlot yield a bit-- led to a plentiful crop load. A hot spell in July brought the vine canopy to early fullness, then a mildly hot August kept the canopy photosynthesizing at a perfect rate. When September started dry and sunny with some cooling off in the nighttime we were pleased. When it continued that way we were amazed. And when October continued the dry, mild, cool trend we were truly grateful. A vintage as good as 2013 is a rare and wonderful thing.

2012

This was a remarkable vintage in several ways. A mild winter led to a very warm April which provoked the wines into the earliest bud break we've ever witnessed on the North Fork. A fast start to the season is great, but the concern then becomes the likelihood of spring frosts damaging that early growth. We had just enough of a frost in early May to scare us, and to repress some  cluster formations. This led to a smaller than average crop. Then we had a sunny, very warm summer that led right into the fall. Great grape vine weather, leading to some of the earliest maturing chardonnay, merlot and cab franc in our history. The combination of small crop and hot weather led to an extremely sweet, flavorful harvest. If only we had more of such ripe grapes.

2011

A snowy winter and extended chill kept the vines dormant into May, and it took most of another month before the season began to warm up. June was turbulent with sun and rain alternating; the vines managed to set fruit in between the raindrops, and when the summer heated up we felt that we were on track for a “normal” year. When September came we got pounded by nearly weekly rainstorms and the ripening process struggled. Chardonnay resisted disease and came in clean, just lower in natural sugars than normal, making for a lighter style. We chose not to make a barrel fermented chardonnay this year. We made a first pass to further reduce the crop load on the red vines and produce a rose wine... and waited out the rest of the season into late October to harvest some, but not many, plump and juicy cab franc and merlot. Overall, a challenging, but successful vintage.

2010

Winter was cold and hard, but gave way to a surprisingly mild late March and April. This brought the vines out of dormancy early and gave us the earliest bud break In LI wine history. The spring was warm, with occassional showers, and unlike in 2009, the flowering period was blessed with sun and heat, allowing for a good fruit set. The summer was hot and humid, with periods of rain — overall one of the warmest seasons ever. This led to grapes ripening early and quickly during September. Of course continued humidity and warm nights put pressure on vineyard managers to protect the clusters from fungus and rot. Our team was up to the task and we harvested healthy and flavorful crops of chardonnay, merlot and cabernet franc nearly two weeks ahead of historical normal. The sun and heat made for the best vintage since 2007.

2009

After a frigid, snowy winter and long chilly early spring, we finally received sun and warmth in late May and early June. This allowed for chardonnay and other early varieties to flower normally. The merlot and cab franc were delayed in flowering until late June when another uncomfortaable spell of cool, gray wet weather settled upon us. This was very bad timing, causing most clusters in the red varieties to abort. So while the vines remained healthy, they carried very few berries — so little that we could see by the middle of the summer that there would not any viable crop. After a reasonable summer, the fall gave us more rain than we needed and less warmth than we deserved. The chardonnay handled the adverse conditions well and gave us a tangy and tasty harvest. On the other hand our entire red harvest consisted of about a ton and a half of grapes acceptable only for a light and pleasant rose wine. This was a vintage of light and white... and to look beyond for another chance at rich reds.

2008

This year takes the cake for “where did that come from” challenging. Just as the winter alternated between stormy snow and spring-like thaws, the rest of the growing season also kept us guessing. There was an early bud break, then a very rare — and luckily limited — May frost. We lost a few buds, but it could have been much worse. May continued chilly, then came hotter than normal temperatures in June, allowing the vines to make up for lost time. Then unfortunately timed rain storms interfered with flowering, leading to fewer berries per cluster and the constant threat of lurking disease. There were several isolated hail storms during the summer doing substantial damage to the west side of the vines that they hit,  leaving most clusters whole and some visibly bruised. This increased the chance that fungus and rotting issues would follow us all the way to the day of harvest. September started with humidity and rainstorms forcing even more attention to cleaning the canopy. Finally we had an extended, and very welcome period of clear, sunny, mild weather to lead us into October and our earliest ever harvest of merlot and cabernet. Crop quantity was way down, but after such a difficult season our persistence and selective hand harvesting led to surprisingly ripe, flavorful grapes.

2007

This was a season of almost magical excellence. Winter was relatively mild with some cold spells but no damaging weather. A warming trend in April was a sign that the growing season was going to be warmer and sunnier than usual. Even though bud break occurred at the normal time in May, early growth was fast and consistent due to above average temperatures. And that trend continued all the way into the fall, giving us healthy vines and great flavor potential. There was plentiful rain, mostly in brief, drenching storms amidst the many periods of sunshine throughout the summer into October. When the temperatures began to fall and the sun continued to shine we saw our grapes ripen evenly and thoroughly. Chardonnay was hand harvested in early October. Merlot, cabernet franc and syrah were also hand picked  under ideal conditions, and there was plenty of season left to ripen cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot. 2007 was a vintage to remember and savor.

2006

A relatively mild winter and early spring led to a good bud break and early season growth.
May and June traded rain with warm sun and led to good development. Just as the vines were flowering in mid June a couple of days of storms interrupted, causing a loss of flowers and a resulting looser, lighter cluster. This also meant we could expect a smaller yield of fruit than normal. A warm, then hot dry summer sped up the maturing process on the vines, so even with a relatively humid and cool fall the grapes continued to ripen. The chardonnay from the over twenty years old Herricks Lane vineyard were hand harvested at the end of September with moderate sugar levels, but firm, succulent flavors. October was kind, allowing us to hang some of the red grapes into early November when they were picked looking somewhat straggly and shriveled, but full of ripe flavors.

2005

A slight cool early spring gave way to excellent growing conditions from late May through September. Thee was plenty of heat and sun, and timely rainstorms. We reached October thinking that we were witnessing the greatest vintage in Long Island history... The chardonnay was harvested tasting sweet and luscious. We looked forward to the perfectly ripening merlot and cabernet franc. And then came ten straight days of gray drizzle and thick rain. The nearly  ripe red grapes withstood the storms bravely, but eventually, with their delicately mature skins started developing sour rot. As the rains continued day after day we watched the clusters begin to fail. As soon as the weather cleared we rushed in to harvest and select out the ripe fruit. While we lost a sizable amount of fruit we were able to bring in grapes of surprisingly good flavor. With careful wine making attention and techniques we are confident that the promise of the nearly perfect 2005 vintage was captured in these wines.

2004

A warm and sunny spring gave us a good start to the season. The canopy filled out quickly and flowering in mid June came amidst a heat spell that brought passing showers. That pattern of sun, heat and rain storms continued throughout the summer and into September. Not a bad patten as long as we're aware of the mounting vine disease pressures it carries. After a torrential storm in late September, the first ten days of October were beautifully sunny and the rest of the month mild. This allowed the grapes to ripen flavors and resist botrytis. Extra cluster thinning up until harvest reduced the amount of fruit, but ensured clean pure flavors. Chardonnay yielded a small, but delicious crop. Merlot from the same vineyard was picked a couple of weeks later, full of color and taste. Our new vineyard also produced its first crop of merlot and cabernet franc — a bit lighter in flavor, but successful nonetheless.

2003

The 2003 growing season began with unseasonably cool, wet weather. These gray damp days lowered our expectations for the vintage down to around ankle level. But then after muddling through a slightly less drizzly June, the clouds broke up and summer came on in force. July and August were hot and sunny and very welcome. Then came a warm, mild September gliding into an equally fine October and life didn't seem nearly as bleak. Chardonnay was picked — late but clean — in early October with abundant fruit flavor. Merlot was harvested toward the end of the month, giving us much to be thankful for.