Journal / Field Notes | August 17, 2023

First Berry Sampling of 2023

Yesterday we sampled Avenius and Hardscrabble Sauvignon Blanc berries. In the lab, Shari extracted about 200mls of juice and ran analysis for sugar, pH, and TA (titratable acidity). Jim then did an aroma and palate evaluation. We are now tracking ripening. In many ways this is the start of crush 2023. 

We are still many weeks away from harvest, but running some juice tests now can give us a better sense of when picking might begin. Even though veraison (the beginning of ripening) was slightly late, ripening has accelerated quickly due to very dry soils and sunny days. If these conditions continue, we will be looking at an early Hardscrabble Sauvignon Blanc harvest. Maybe around Labor Day? Hardscrabble vines are younger than Avenius, and the site is slightly warmer, so there could be a week or more difference in ripening.

The berries are extremely small and very concentrated. Sugars are already high (21.6 brix, which would translate into a potential of 13% alcohol). This is of concern as we could be looking at alcohols over 14% which can be difficult to balance with our typical refreshing style of Sauvignon Blanc. Fortunately at Hardscrabble we also grow Semillon which ripens at a much lower sugar content (AKA potential alcohol). The blend in 2023 may require a high percentage of Semillon.

The personality of the vintage is already evolving.

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Hardscrabble Journal, Field NotesJim Law2023