The 2022 growing season on the Central Coast began with below-average rainfall and moderate spring temperatures that led to a normal period of budbreak and bloom in the vineyards. While we saw a normal ripening progression of the grapes throughout the summer months, because the Central Coast is vast (spanning from Santa Barbara in the south to San Francisco in the north), the impact of a heat event near Labor Day affected each region differently. In San Benito and Monterey County ripeness increased quickly, spurring us to start harvest just after Labor Day, whereas in the other regions we work, the heat spike was just what we needed to speed up ripening. Harvest drew to a close in late September—one of our earliest finishes ever—yielding wines notable for richness, complexity and vibrant acid.