From Wednesday evening through Saturday we had over four inches of rain. Conditions were damp, but cool throughout this period. Yesterday, once the sun came out, I mustered up the courage to walk the vineyard blocks that we were not able to harvest pre-rain.
Read MorePump-overs and punch downs are at a critical stage now, as the reds are at their peak of fermentation. Every twelve hours decisions are made as to what level of extraction each bin requires. By shear necessity these decisions are made quickly and intuitively.
Read MoreWe are taking a break after a tremendously exhausting, but satisfying week. Break is relative. While harvest and crush are on hold as gloomy weather still prevails, the cellar is very much alive and needs a lot of attention.
Read MoreA cascade of red grapes and fermenters are filling the the cellar at a pace I have never experienced. We have harvested 80% of our entire red wine production in 6 days. Red harvest usually spans 3 weeks.
Read MoreI’m sure records were broken as to the shear quantity (not to mention quality!) of grapes we picked yesterday. The rain teased us from the very beginning, but a good part of the day was rain free until the very end when we all got soaking wet.
Read MoreToday will be one of those days we all dread. Picking in the rain. The forecast moved the start of the rain from later in the afternoon to the morning. We will start to pick at daybreak and keep going all day, probably taking breaks in any heavy showers.
Read MoreWe got very lucky last night. Only two tenths of an inch of rain. This will have no direct negative effect on fruit quality. However the down side is that is is warm and wet outside right now. I can feel the botrytis rot ready to rear its ugly head.
Read MoreOur leisurely harvest pace has come to an end with the forecast of rain. Today begins a stretch of bringing in as much fruit as logistically possible.
Read MoreThis time of year the first thing I do in the morning in check the weather forecast. Its the last thing I do before going to bed. I also check it during the day, at lunch and in the evening.
Read MoreYesterday was one of the easiest “big” days we’ve experienced. I’m always a bit apprehensive when day one involves large quantities, but all the equipment worked well. More importantly, the grapes were in excellent shape, so very little sorting was needed.
Read MoreToday in the first day of red crush. Many hours will be spent on the sorting tables pulling out stem jacks and pink berries. The Merlots are very ripe. I feel confident that we picked at the right time.
Read MoreMerlot harvest starts today. It seems that the weather will be good next week, so we are only picking the riper blocks this week.
Read MoreToday we crush red grapes for Rosé. We weren’t able to finish picking all the ‘corners’, so in between press loads some of us will head out to finish picking.
Read MoreToday is a big harvest day of red grapes for Rosé. We were hoping to get started yesterday, but the rain didn’t end until noon. The vines and clusters didn’t dry until mid afternoon.
Read MoreWe are picking red grapes for rosé today and tomorrow. Today is rain delayed. This is the first rain since harvest started. I’m hoping that we get less than an inch and things dry out quickly.
Read MoreTomorrow we pick red grapes for Rosé. More on that later. Included in this picking will be a vineyard block that has been my nemesis since 1988 when it was planted.
Read MoreToday we crush and press the old vine Hardscrabble Chardonnay. This is the fifth vintage in a row for an exceptional Chardonnay harvest. Maybe exceptional has become the norm?
Read MoreYesterday was shift day. The shift was a mental one where obsession with acids was replaced with obsession of tannins: the transition from whites to reds. Today we are picking the last of Hardscrabble Chardonnay.
Read MoreWhen to pick is by far the most important of all winemaking decisions. A large part of this process is about reading the vintage. Our goal is to make wines that express terroir and vintage.
Read MoreShari conducted a massive lab session yesterday so we have good analytical information on both the juice already in the tanks and the grapes on the vines. The results serve mostly as a confirmation of what we are tasting, but with a few surprises.
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