A brief summary of the four most recent vintages from California's Central Coast

A quick summary of the four most recent vintages on the Central Coast follows. Keep in mind this is very general, because, for example, the climate in the Santa Lucia Highlands is far different than that in Paso Robles, and even there, it is completely different on the west side of Route 101 than it is on the east side. And of course, there are dramatically diverse, multiple micro-climates and differences further south in the Santa Rita Hills, Santa Ynez Valley, etc.


2009: This looks like it’s going to be an irregular vintage. Ten to 13 inches of rain fell before many people picked in the south. Those growers who waited for good weather did finally receive it and the wines that they made appear to be very good. Picking extremely late resulted in fruit-forward, front end-loaded wines which will be delicious young, but probably won’t have the aging potential that a great year such as 2007 possesses.


2008: Another challenging vintage, with harsh weather in the spring causing sporadic crop losses due to several spring frosts. Moreover, this was another year where, in order for the harvest to be a success, the producers had to wait until late October and, in some cases even late November, to get fully ripened fruit. Those who did made sensational wines, but this is a very irregular vintage. The top producers who waited and were willing to assume the risk, made some marvelous wines in 2008. The wines are less fruit-forward than the 2009s look to be, tend to have a tightly coiled inner core of depth and fruit, and aromatically are still somewhat shut down. Paradoxically, even though these wines will not be terribly long-lived, they will take another year or two to reveal their true personalities.


2007: This is a perfect vintage virtually everywhere in the Central Coast, from Monterey in the north to Santa Barbara in the south. The winemakers could pick at will since they had no problems with excessive heat, rain, or frost. This is a vintage of gorgeously showy fruit, beautiful purity, medium to full-bodied, powerful flavors, and superb equilibrium. I think the wines will drink nicely young and age very well by Central Coast standards. The syrahs I have tasted from this vintage are some of the best syrahs I have ever tasted form the Central Coast. The same is true for pinot noir, although you may have trouble finding any of the 2007 pinot noirs from any California AVA left on the shelves.


2006: This is a somewhat forgotten vintage, but the strong wines of 2006 have turned out to be beautiful. They are showing well, have greater density than 2008 or 2009, yet yields were higher than in any of the three subsequent vintages for most producers. The Rhône varietals tended to fare better in 2006 than Pinot Noir. Chardonnay is always much more consistent, just an easier varietal from which to make good wine. It has certainly done well, but most Central Coast Chardonnays should be consumed in the near-term.