2001 Vintage Wines
Vintage Summary
The 2001 year was a warm, generally dry and sunny year with nearly ideal growing conditions across the Central Coast. A number of events reduced vineyard yields: Some regions experienced an early April frost, reducing some vineyards' ultimate crop levels. Fruit set was impacted by a heat wave in May and June, further reducing the potential vineyard yields. Alternating periods of heat coolness during the growing season and no rain may have raised the heart rates of some. In response to reduced rainfall, many growers employed "deficit irrigation" techniques which consist of reducing irrigation between fruit set and veraison. The resulting berries are smaller and have a higher skin to pulp ratio is increased. The resulting wines have more color, and intensified flavors. Cabernet grapes were reported the big winners in 2001: rich, deep in color and well balanced.
Despite the variation early in the season, the weather was deemed perfect during ripening. A heat spike in the first part of September boosted sugar ripening but the patience of those who waited for physiological ripeness to catch up was to be reward with extracted and flavorful wines. A cooler second half of September allowed the grapes (averaging 25 Brix) to be picked at a more relaxed pace. The Central Coast was able to avoid the heavy storms typically brought on by autumn storm off the Mexican coast when a high pressure system deflected the fallout of October’s Hurricane Juliette and the grapes were given another push toward ripeness. Harvest came two to three weeks earlier than in the two previous years.
2001 Vintage Wines:
2001 Cottonwood Canyon Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley 90 Points
2001 Jekel Sanctuary, Arroyo Seco 92 Points
2001 McKeon-Phillips Cabernet Sauvignon 94 Points
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