The 2023 California growing season began with plentiful winter rains that revitalized the soils after several years of drought. Cool spring temperatures led to later ripening trends, running anywhere from two weeks to a month behind average. Decoy’s harvest kicked off on the North Coast with Sauvignon Blanc on September 7th, and we shifted into high gear towards late September when the weather warmed, bringing short heat waves that were followed by cooling trends. The October heat was a gift, pushing the grapes to optimum ripeness and phenological maturity.