From start to finish 2016 was the earliest vintage we have ever seen in the Willamette Valley. At Bethel Heights we were almost a month ahead of "normal" at every turning point in the season. The growing season was warm and wetter than usual, leading to veraison beginning in early August, the earliest we have seen. Harvest started on August 27, the first time we ever harvested fruit in August. Our last fruit was harvested on September 24, the first time we ever finished harvest before the end of September. Surprisingly, the wines of 2016 are not the uniformly opulent offerings one would expect from a year defined by its precocity. Ripeness came early, but not at the expense of purity and elegance.