[easyazon_infoblock align=”right” identifier=”B00OI5466M” locale=”US” localize=”y” tag=”thirs028-20″]Chile’s 2013 vintage was one of the driest and hottest on record. From north to south, heat was an unavoidable issue. These extreme conditions accelerated fruit maturation and moved harvest up three to four weeks earlier than usual. The yields were a bit larger than average, and the Pinot Noir fruit quality was very good. 2013’s concentrated grapes made for red wines with ripe fruit flavors and soft tannins, and white wines showing intense aromas and bright acidity on the palate.

[easyazon_image align=”left” height=”160″ identifier=”B00T0ZVVM2″ locale=”US” localize=”y” src=”http://www.thirstybert.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/51oLU2VxMKL.SL160.jpg” tag=”thirs028-20″ width=”126″]The 2012 vintage, while starting off with a stunning resemblance to 2011, finished off the season well: average heat accumulation, average cumulative precipitation and only a few isolated weather events. Most bud break occurred in early April. Although overall precipitation for 2012 was slightly above normal, it was not evenly distributed over the growing season. August saw low humidity, low precipitation and high temperatures which kicked off the metabolic processes involved with berry ripening. We noticed vastly improved fruit quality when compared to the 2011 vintage; 2012 brought medium sized berries, concentrated colors and intense flavors that took a little time to catch up with the sugars.