We've now harvested three grapes on the farm estate: Marquette, Marquis, and Noiret, and we've taken delivery of everything from Niagara, Chardonnay, Viognier, Cab Franc and Diamond. From talking to the the great vineyard growers out there 2015 looks like a great year. We thought the Chardonnay fruit from 2014 was great last year when it was picked, this is better. While the reds are not all in, they certainly look better than 2014 which was a good year.
For the 2014 and 2015 vintages Spring Gate has definitely been attempting to create and cellar more and more of its wines, not just for inventory but for the wines to age and change - hopefully for the better. For those who know me, i've grown accustom to drinking Virginia red wines that are 3-5 years old, and have been increasingly doing that with Pennsylvania wines as I've found those winemakers I believe consistently make great wines. I like to buy the wine when it is newly released and young, and the hold it, but that takes a few $, some appropriate storage, and a bit of discipline not to indulge in what is a perfectly good young wine.
These concepts are well held for red wines, but they can be true for the white wines as well. Talking to not-to-be-named winemaker about a not-to-be-named wine from 2014 we both felt (as did others) that it was a good wine, great aromatics (nose), great attack, great finish, but soft on the midpalate. The winemaker stated "just wait for six to 9 months" and that midpalate will happen - so I will come back to it then. It reminded me of reading Paul Tillich in the 70's, I didn't like it, but when I reread him in 2010 I could really appreciate him - tastes change.
Spring Gate's 2013 Vidal Blanc which we are currently selling is a good case in point. When it was bottled and available in April of 2014 I really didn't like it. 125 cases of it sat in our cool storage, and every 2-3 months I'd pull a bottle and drink it, and I didn't like it throughout 2014. I remembered thinking this January before I pulled a bottle what was I going to do with it, maybe distill it to a liquor. It wasn't bad thankfully in January, and by April of 2015 it was good, enjoyable, and other people seem to enjoy it as well.
Fundamentally things look very good for 2015, we'll know more in the 2nd quarter of 2016, further by the Fall of that year. But the final judgment maybe some years in the future.
For the 2014 and 2015 vintages Spring Gate has definitely been attempting to create and cellar more and more of its wines, not just for inventory but for the wines to age and change - hopefully for the better. For those who know me, i've grown accustom to drinking Virginia red wines that are 3-5 years old, and have been increasingly doing that with Pennsylvania wines as I've found those winemakers I believe consistently make great wines. I like to buy the wine when it is newly released and young, and the hold it, but that takes a few $, some appropriate storage, and a bit of discipline not to indulge in what is a perfectly good young wine.
These concepts are well held for red wines, but they can be true for the white wines as well. Talking to not-to-be-named winemaker about a not-to-be-named wine from 2014 we both felt (as did others) that it was a good wine, great aromatics (nose), great attack, great finish, but soft on the midpalate. The winemaker stated "just wait for six to 9 months" and that midpalate will happen - so I will come back to it then. It reminded me of reading Paul Tillich in the 70's, I didn't like it, but when I reread him in 2010 I could really appreciate him - tastes change.
Spring Gate's 2013 Vidal Blanc which we are currently selling is a good case in point. When it was bottled and available in April of 2014 I really didn't like it. 125 cases of it sat in our cool storage, and every 2-3 months I'd pull a bottle and drink it, and I didn't like it throughout 2014. I remembered thinking this January before I pulled a bottle what was I going to do with it, maybe distill it to a liquor. It wasn't bad thankfully in January, and by April of 2015 it was good, enjoyable, and other people seem to enjoy it as well.
Fundamentally things look very good for 2015, we'll know more in the 2nd quarter of 2016, further by the Fall of that year. But the final judgment maybe some years in the future.
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