Cameron Winery -- sustainably farmed, non-irrigated, Oregon pinot noir and chardonnay

Fermentations are now mostly complete and the cellar is angling down to its winter temperature in the high 50s F. So now is the time to button up my cardigan and reflect on the vintage just completed.

When an early bloom in June came quickly to a close because of a premature heat spike, we knew that ripening in the fall would also come quickly and furiously. In the meantime, mid summer was mostly a delightful blast from the past, with moderate temperatures (mostly in the low 80s), which allows for nice, even ripening.

Late summer was, however, a bit brutal with temperatures close to 100F for the last week of August and into early September. Once things simmered down, we coasted into the vintage with a relatively light crop in both the Clos Electrique Rouge (1.5 tons/acre or 21 hl/hec) and the old vines up at Abbey Ridge (1.9 tons/acre or 27 hl/hec). The Clos Electrique Blanc was extremely light (1.0 ton/acre or 14 hl/hec) and the Abbey Ridge Draper clone similarly small. It is one of the great mysteries of winemaking why a crop comes out large or small in a given year.

Berry sizes were in all cases were also on the small size, which means an overall reduced yield. This is great news because it also means that there was a greater skin to juice ratio. This results in a higher extraction of components that are responsible for texture and aromatics. And, indeed, at first glance, the 2025 wines are full and generous with excellent color.

After 2024 I was certain that we had just fallen upon one of the great vintages of the current century but I have to admit that perhaps 2025 is going to be even better. So buckle up, good things are coming!