Vintage Update

Harvest Wrap-up
10.28.07
Eric Miller, Winemaker

It's done. The 2007 grapes are in and I've been raving about this vintage for so long my throat is sore. We have had an unusually warm, sunny, dry, frost free season up until last night. Even then only the lower vines lost leaves. But we had the last of the fruit off before the rain almost a week ago.

For those of us on the east coast who were willing to wait it out and let 'em hang, 2007 is going to be a vintage to tell our children about. Have not seen one quite like it in my 36 vintages to date. I admit I had my concerns about bringing in a big fish like this.and our patient winemaking team, vineyard manager, growers and I spent hours revising our strategy and plans to be home to suit the unusual conditions -- but for all that, I think we all know it was Lucky 07.

Previous Notes September 2007

The 2007 harvest is just underway, so it’s a good time to enter my annual speculation game. Anyone who knows anything about growing wine knows that the effect of the weather is profound, and painfully unpredictable. To date we have harvested a small amount of Pinot Noir from the Historical Hopewell Vineyard and it reflects the absolutely perfect past three weeks we have enjoyed in its deep blue red color, healthy (nutritious) on-going fermentation, and the fruity tastes and smells coming out of the fermentor. Even this week’s light rain has been good.

At our own Miller Estate Vineyard, manager Brett believes that the extremely dry weather may be cause for some berries to be shelling in the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Miller Estate Pinot Noir (scheduled for picking September 19th). And predictions are for another great seven-day run as we move into Chardonnay and Syrah territory. Oh we must have been good this year!

In the broader picture, all of our associated vineyards are in great shape. While this season has really only had one long scary moment, when it rained for four straight days in mid-August (anyone at the beach will remember that dismal week), dews were fairly heavy and everyone had to keep on top of shoot and leaf thinning to keep things dry. With vineyards ranging from year 3 to 29 it is hard to generalize about cluster-counts, berry size and fruit set. Fact is, Miller Estate Chard took a hit from the wet freeze last Feb so we will not see a big harvest.

Fortunately Brett left about 100% more buds than typical in Pinot Noir so we are looking forward to a typical yield of about 3 tons/acre. We just decided to drop some less-colored Barbera clusters, which might not cause us to drop below 3 tons/acre. So as you can see, we are fine tuning each variety as they come into the 4-week pre-harvest window. Lots of hand work but that's what puts us in the best shape dealing with the vagaries of east coast weather.

Overall, I gotta' tell ya', I'm past my annual pre-harvest jitters, and after visiting all our sites recently, I can see, smell and taste that all our growers are in tune with the season, and the cellar, and what's out there is in great shape. I know we have a long way to go, but right now I'm feeling like "Bring it on!"

Stay tuned for updates as the season progresses.

The '06s In The Cellar

You know from what I wrote last fall that I had some serious concerns about the 2006 vintage. But things got better as the season progressed. In January we completed our final blends and cellarmaster Jim, enologist Jen and I settled in to taste what happened. We met stable dense color and no one said much. Smells began to fill our crummy bombed-out production office. Flavors were tight. Tannins were smooth and grainy. And slowly the three of us began to smile. And get chatty.

It began with the small cuvee of Miller Estate Chardonnay that we had not blended off into the Naked Chardonnay. Wow, the fruit came up to grab us. There were sweet smells coming out of the Pinot Noir. Tasting the Seven Valleys Chambourcin, the Jansen Estate Chambourcin, Merlot, Rubino and Cab blends was like Christmas all over again.

Come spring I was in even better spirits and able to say "Hail 2006." For the whites that showed cool bright fruit, like the '06 Spring Wine and Pinot Grigio. For the three barrels of Miller Estate Chardonnay that we bottled as our special 25th Anniversary Cuvee, released this summer at our 25th Anniversary celebration events.

Hail the '06 Pinot Noir and Syrah for their delicate ripe red peppery fruit. Hail but hold back a few years for the mouth-filling tannins of my 25th Anniversary Merican/Meritage blend. The Cab and Merlot may come on a bit sooner as their fine grainy tannins subside.

Hail 2006 because it has turned out to be right up there with other good-to-great vintages I've been so grateful for. Those of you who attended our July barrel tastings voted with your checkbook, so I guess you agreed with me. If you missed this sneak-preview opportunity, watch for the first of the '06s coming on stream this fall, beginning with '06 Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio. The big boys will follow later in the winter and next spring.

Cellar Report On The 2005 Vintage

While we're waiting for the '06s, I offer you the delayed, barrel-ripened and vineyard designated reds from '05. Some of you may recall that I rated the brilliant '05 vintage a perfect 10 out of 10, one of those super-ripe year when the grapes achieved full potential. We did extended skin/seed contact for greater mouth-feel. We brought in an incredible amount of new barrels for extended aging before bottling. We used a high percentage of heavy toasted oak. We went all the way and I am happy to say the resulting kick-ass reds, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Merican, are packed with rich deep color, sweet extracts and mouth-filling tannins.

Sadly, the '05 Pinot Noir (which had incredible reviews including a notice by Eric Asimov last fall in the New York Times) is all gone, sold out shortly after it's release. Gone also is the '05 Rubino, which was the hands-on crowd favorite. But we have the '05 Barrel Select Pinot Noir on the shelves right now, as well as the '05 Miller Estate Pinot Noir, the '05 Due Rossi, '05 Syrah (get this tiny lot while you can), a very good '05 Cabernet and three '05 Chambourcins from our Miller Estate Vineyard as well as all-time favorite Seven Valleys and a new first-time release from the Jansen Estate Vineyard. A great PA terroir tasting, and one we are showcasing in this fall's Saturday Reserve Tastings.

As for the whites, they have given way to the young fresh '06s...but the cream of the crop, the '05 Roth Vineyard Chardonnay, is here awaiting you. Yes, Roth Chardonnay! In this, our first Roth release since 2001, we have embarked on a partial malo-lactic fermentation, retained a natural acidity, brilliant fruit and creamy apple-pie flavor swollen into sweet vanilla. I am so excited about this lot, especially since there is no '06 and will be no '07 from Roth.

There, now you have lots of reasons to come out this fall.

Eric Miller, Winemaker