So far, 2010 has been a very “cool” vintage – in at least two senses of that adjective. The relatively low temperatures are not at all bad. Mildew pressure may be greater, but the vines really like the air conditioning. Often we are “socked in” with morning fog, but it usually burns off before noon and the sun breaks through, providing ample energy for photosynthesis.

Because conditions were not ideal for setting a big crop during bloom, we have significant shatter and loose clusters. Without the demand of a large fruit set, the vines look very lush and are thriving, with shoot tips still active. And with lower ambient temperatures, water demand is lessened as well.

So far we’ve had no real heat spikes, just a warm weekend during the second week of June. Last year at this time, we had color in the vineyard after a heat spike earlier in July. This year the weather has been similar to the 2005 growing season, but with a small crop and more shot berries like 2007. I can see slightly different timing between the various blocks and, overall, the effects of virus are not as evident as in warmer years.

I saw just a touch of color in the grapes while walking the vineyard today. As veraison occurs over the next week or so, we’ll decide just how to thin this crop. Right now we’re trimming the canopy by hand so that we can be more discriminating about each vine rather than using just one setting as a tractor makes a pass.

We haven’t applied any irrigation in our Russian River vineyard, and very little in Carneros. I’m also seeing significant lignification – that is, green canes turning to wood – and that’s a good sign that maturation is occurring. The open clusters reduce our worries of Botrytis rot and we’re also seeing very few berries pushed out by tight clusters. In all, this vintage looks very good. So far, that is. The beauty of this business is that you can never truly predict the outcome. That keeps it interesting.

A few months ago, I was pleased to participate in a seminar on terroir at the Central Coast Wine Classic in Shell Beach, California. So I got to thinking about our site, perhaps just a little more than usual.

I was privileged to manage a lot of acreage, including what is now the Donum Ranch, for many years at Buena Vista. And for the last decade, I’ve had the ability to focus on Pinot Noir at Donum, T-budding our vines over to different clones and selections to see what fares best in our blocks. As it happens, one selection from the Alexander Valley has seemed to do especially well on our property, and it has become something of the soul of Donum.

As an industry, we’ve always talked about how wines from different appellations differ — how those made from Russian River vines compare with, say, Central Coast Pinot Noirs. Of course, even wines made from the same block can be manipulated in the cellar to negate the characteristics of site. Yet it seems undeniable that, because we all work with the same assortment of rootstocks, clones and selections, and we all employ the same tools in the vineyard and the winery, the real differences derive from site.

While the Burgundians had the experience of centuries to find combinations that work well, we have in a generation assembled rootstocks, clones, trellising, spacing, water management and cultural practices – all the elements necessary to evolve into the next generation of vineyards.

To truly match plant materials to sites takes so long, and even in California, we don’t replant that often. Yet the past decade has seen Pinot Noir move ahead by leaps and bounds here because we made the major shifts necessary and we now enjoy a track record of what works.

Ten years ago at Donum, we began with one wine in mind, a blend of clones and selections. But that chorus became a duet, and sometimes a solo. We learned to pay attention, noticing what was special in the vineyard and in the cellar. Now we have several Donum Pinots, each a unique and clear expression of the marriage of clone and place.

Undoubtedly, it’s a good thing that we have a whole year to contemplate what a vintage has taught us, to try to understand the dynamics of the vineyard. In the end, we must farm with intention, with the wine we want to make in mind. We must constantly read the season and ask, where are we and what should we do? All we do in touching our 120,000 vines is predicated on caring. And while Kenneth and I may get the credit, part of our terroir is our people, the guys who actually do the work, mindfully converting our intentions into reality. Our team is an integral part of this place, and we are grateful.

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