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Vintage 2011 Perspective
Consensus in regards to the 2011 is that the persistent rains in the fall incapacitated the ability to produce highest quality winegrapes, and as a result this was a winemakers vintage where cellar magic was the only hope. The perspective from Chateau OBrien is quite the opposite. This was a season that truly tested and proved the quality of the leading viticulturist at a winery, and under excellent vigilant management the vines did produce admirable wines.
As a grape grower and winemaker, this is a season I can be proud of. To have produced outstanding red wines in the face of extreme climatic adversity, the wines from 2011 come as much more of a point-of-pride than from producing outstanding wines in a great season.
As always, pro-active efforts starting aggressively in May and June set the stage to overcome the crisis. The springtime efforts of regulating shoot density, parallel & vertical positioning, and post-bloom leaf removal (east side) opened up the canopy to take full advantage of opportunities keep fruit dry via sun exposure and air circulation. These de-vigorating practices combined with use of moisture and nutrient competing cover crops force the vines to make an early shift from vegetative growth to a focus towards fruit maturation. This accelerated ripening approach fell hand-in-hand with what had been an early season in 2011, with early bud-break, bloom, and veraison. This resulted in whites easily ripened, and nearing harvest once the moisture pattern began to establish itself. The whites of 2011 may be regarded as the best ever produced at Chateau OBrien.
Reds responded very favorably to three weeks of heat and drought in the late summer, and were on track to harvest two to three weeks early from what had appeared up to that time to be possibly the most ideal vintage conditions Virginia had ever experienced. This early maturity was a saving grace for achieving full ripeness in the face of 4 weeks of clouded cool dampness. In late August, remaining leaves on the west side of the fruit zone were removed, leaving clusters fully open to the air and sun. As the wetness persisted through September, the reds continued to mature, though not in any way that could have been anticipated. Flavors developed and tannins softened, but acidity lingered high at nearly intolerable levels. While the earliest ripening varieties easily came to full maturity, such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot, it was the varieties that mature latest and are normally associated with persistent high acidity retention that showed the least willingness to budge, even after the rains let up. Fortunately a pleasant wave of sun and warmth swept the region, and allowed for these latest reds to eek out the full ripeness we require for fine wines here at Chateau OBrien. These latest struggling varieties of Petit Verdot and Tannat did produce outstanding full bodied red wines, and will be guaranteed to satisfy the expectations of a red wine carrying the Chateau OBrien name.
It was not easy, it was at times very stressful, but it is truly rewarding to have produced such fine wines amid a vintage season as challenging as the autumn of 2011. I’ll be a happy viticulturist when these get bottled and released, and we pop some open and taste the value of hard work and dedication.
Cheers!!! Jason Murray, Viticulturist and Winemaker at Chateau OBrien at Northpoint