Taking everything into account, the 2024 vintage offers another strong showing for Domaine Artefact. Overall, production was down ~35% from an exceptionally productive 2023. After a relatively moderate, cool spring and early summer, beginning in the second half of July, there were six weeks of well above average temperatures.  The summer’s hot weather and high humidity created prefect conditions for sour rot and botrytis; normally August signals the welcomed end of fungicide spraying, however, we needed to continue this regimen until the end of September.

The July-August heat wave couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time.  In late June/early July, we pulled leaves off the east side of our vines to create more air flow around the grape clusters. This strategy is performed to reduce humidity around and within the grape clusters, reducing conditions for powdery mildew and other fungal maladies. Normally this proves to be a good thing; however, with rising temperatures, it was ill-timed for the white varietals.  As we watched the temperature climb to a high of 106F, the vine metabolism slowed.  Both grape clusters and leaves suffered dehydration and we were forced to harvest the white varietals sooner than we would have liked. 

Despite our misgivings with early harvesting, after vinification, the white varietals are impressive exhibiting both varietal characteristics and retaining acidity.  Our Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne were all harvested in September.  The Grenache Blanc, always the last white varietal to ripen, was harvested in October.  It was worth the wait; after vinification, the wine offers ripe pears, apples and stone flavors and bright acidity.

With their dark skins, the red varietals have more protection against sunburn due to anthocyanins (pigments that give red grapes their color).  This UV protection allows red varietals longer hang times than most white varietals. Strangely in 2024, the Syrah blocks started ripening before Grenache Noir.  What is truly a standout for us, was that the majority of our nine Syrah blocks were harvested before we even picked one cluster of Grenache Noir for our RosĂ©! 

At harvest, our flagship Block 6 Syrah exhibited luscious blackberry fruit accented by distinct coffee aromas. One of the wonderful attributes of our vineyard micro-climate is that our Syrah’s reach phenolic ripeness displays a wide spectrum dark black fruit (blackberries, black currant, blueberries, and boysenberries) with hints of clove and licorice.  After we harvested Syrah, the heat returned, and the waiting commenced. 

The Grenache Noir harvest came in waves with the resulting flavors ranging from bright cherries, raspberries and strawberries to darker cherries and currants. The Petite Sirah and Carignan suffered in the heat and the yields were significantly lower.  However, what was harvested from these two varietals exhibited dark, rich fruits. 

There is an internal debate that I face every year:  when to pick the grapes! There are three major considerations determining when to harvest: sugar levels (Brix), acid levels and phenolic ripeness. They each have their own optimal levels, and don’t always align.  While we measure some of these variables with instruments it ultimately comes down to taste and winemaker preference/style. 

By mid-October the only varietal we had not harvested was the Mourvèdre and it was still weeks away from being ready to harvest. This is the waiting game that I described earlier; increased hang times produce richer, more complex flavors, however, sometimes at the cost of acidity.  By the end of October, every winery had finished harvest and yet, our Mourvèdre was still out in the vineyar.  I had daily thoughts of “maybe I should make a Mourvèdre RosĂ©.”  It is a game of attrition: every yellowjacket, honeybee, sparrow, starling, oriole, squirrel, skunk, coyote and the occasional deer, were zeroing in on our Mourvèdre. 

Finally!!  We began to harvest the Mourvèdre the week before Thanksgiving and the losses in the vineyard were worth the gains in the cellar. Fermentation took over two weeks as nightly temperatures were in the upper 40F’s. The resulting wine is deep in color with earthy and brambleberry notes and a touch of menthol.

For every season and vintage that we see come and go, we learn to appreciate our vineyard, it’s unique microclimate and the bounty it provides us.  Grape growing and wine making is a truly remarkable endeavor, and we are so thankful and appreciative that we can share our passion with you.  

Thank you for your continued support – it truly is an honor and privilege to share our wines and wine journey with you.

“De nos mains et notre coeur aux votres – From our hands and hearts to yours”