Archive for October 2009
The Final Weeks of Harvest
Pressing off the Pinot Noir.I know Omar's shirt says 2008. What I don't know is how he keeps it so clean.
As we enter the final couple weeks of harvest, I realize I haven’t posted to this blog nearly as often as I hoped.. but I guess that’s to be expected. Harvest usually starts off at such a reasonable pace allowing me to maintain such niceties as sleep and time with the family. But, by early October, the pace picks up and my head is spinning, obsessing about the grapes and the wine, 24/7.
At this point, a number of the early picks have already fermented to dryness and are resting in barrel. We purchased a small basket press this year which has been very handy as we continue to micro-manage the vineyard, picking each small block at the peak of perfection. I’ve included some photos here of the press (and the crew) in action. We have been delighted with all the wine lots brought in so far. The Riesling is extremely aromatic, the Chardonnay bright and fresh and the early reds like Pinot Noir and Malbec are quite fruity. We were checking on the barrels a couple days ago, and this one barrel of Pinot smelled so much of raspberries, I wanted to drink it all right then and there!
Here comes the wine! The screen catches any skins that escape the basket.
We do still have some grapes on the vine which is not unusual, considering the cool year we’ve had. I fretted a bit this past week as the remnants of a typhoon headed our way. We ended up with over 5 inches of rain in just 12 hrs! We don’t till much at all, so we didn’t lose any soil to erosion. And these remaining grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, both varieties that can handle getting wet. In fact, it often rains as much as 7 inches during harvest in Bordeaux. And I’ve heard they make some decent wine there on occasion.
We are walking in the vineyards daily during these final weeks,waiting for some final ripening and the crew is ready to pick at a moment’s notice. Today the sun is shining and it’s over 80 degrees. A few more days like this and we can bring the rest in. And then I can reacquaint myself with the family…
Cheers,
Jon Ruel
