Vintage Update March 2004

In the Cellar: Declassifying the 2003s

I like to think that we may not always get what we ask for, but if we try really hard we sometimes get what we worked for. Vintage 2003 was an obnoxious beast from the outset. Now, after a great deal of tension, anxiety, pleading, encouraging and hard frustrating work in the cellar, I can tell you that some of the wines are drop dead gorgeous, some are simply the best that could be done in such a vintage. Overall, I’d call the ’03 wines lean with crisp acidity in the whites and light tannins in the reds. Flavors are all correct but not the powerhouse vintages we have in the current ’01 and ’02 vintages.

Looking at the whites, the Spring Wine is the snappiest, freshest, brightest thing we have had in the cellar in years. Pinot Grigio is another real winner, and big surprise. We let it hang a lot longer than usual, dodged more rain, then let it hang some more. I had no idea it would benefit so much from that kind of wet season. And those of you who attended this summer’s barrel tastings have heard me say that the most exciting thing to come out of the vintage is the ’03 Miller Estate Chardonnay . We cut it to a little over 1,000 cases to get what we wanted: brilliant fruit of pineapple and melon with a wash of sweet oak vanillans.

As for the reds, I have been happy with the Merlot ever since it lost its baby fat of yeast and CO2. Today we tasted and made the decision to bottle the ’03 Cab, a very balanced mix of ripe cassis fruit, soft grainy tannins and complex mix of pencil lead and cedar...simply delicious. It was no surprise to me that by selling off lesser lots and selectively using new exotic yeast strains we could bring out some exciting whites in ‘03, but I was unsure what would happen with the more complex reds. Now I know that a few people can grow great wines, even in a near-disastrous year.

The Barrel Select Pinot Noir promises to be really good, since it is essentially the ’03 Miller Estate Pinot (which we will not segregate and bottle this year). In France the government determines what is “classified” and what is plonk. In the New World it is only the winemaker who lives or dies by what he/she chooses to keep, blend or sell off in bulk. I have painfully “declassified” my own Miller Estate Pinot Noir to become a striking and lower-priced Barrel Select Pinot.

Same with all my exciting Sangiovese and Barbera. I chose to mix those varieties in with the 2003 Proprietors Reserve Red. I also declassified the Roth Chardonnay this year. Overall, I reduced our ’03 vintage by about 25%, but it was worth it to me. I want you to know that I only make the top wines when they are impeccable. So be assured that when you buy the ‘03s, you will buy into integrity and a winemaker’s cellar-driven pride for some incredible values.

Cellar Report on the ‘02s

While the ‘04s grow and ’03s are bottled, the ‘02s cover most of the Chaddsford shelves. Everything from ’02 is now in bottle, and you have heard me say before that this vintage is right up there with the ‘01s. Back to back triumphs like I have never seen before. You may be familiar with the early bloomers, but here’s a few notes on the “big boys” that are just beginning to be released:

I lost the ’02 Philip Roth Vineyard Chardonnay, and I just don’t know what happened. As it turned out, we blended it with the ’02 Barrel Select Chardonnay, which, by the way is like an undeclared Montrachet....so big, so bold with brilliant fruit and mineral that won’t stop – undoubtedly the best Barrel Select Chard we have made. If you want to know more about the Roth, ask me when you come by the winery. Or send me an e-mail at eric@chaddsford.com and I’ll pour out the story.

The ’02 Miller Estate Chardonnay is bigger and badder than ’01, but softer.

For the second year in a row the ’02 Pinot Noirs (Barrel Select and Miller Estate) are big, rich, and fruity, with fine tannins that will bring them to your table by next year. You will appreciate the extra depth and concentration from our decision to hold off picking and let them begin raisening.

The ’02 Merlot is now 100% from PA; it has so much chocolate and smooth stuff it is driving us crazy-happy to no longer be using Long Island grapes. All fruit in this new lot is from Lancaster County. ’02 Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely earthier than the Merlot, but with a backbone and ripe fruit that lasts thru the fine tannins and long soft finish. Finally, the just-released ’02 Chambourcins from the Seven Valleys and Miller Estate vineyards hold nothing back. All spice, in-your-face jam and fresh black fruit. Laced with caraway and cream that only Pennsylvania-grown small oak barrels can deliver.

I have been reserving judgment about the ’02 Merican, because it has been so closed, but we tasted it recently at the July barrel tastings and it was damn good. I think I’m ecstatic about it, as were the “Futures” buyers who sampled it with me. If any of you missed the opportunity to acquire some as Futures, let me know and I’ll arrange for you to taste it.

That’s all for now – I’ll update you more as the season progresses.

Eric Miller, Winemaker