Yesterday we spent seven hours sorting and crushing Merlot. For the first time ever, all three vineyard sites were processed on the same day. This gave us a good opportunity to get intimate with the terroir differences of each site.
Read MoreWe are taking advantage of ideal picking days and bringing in all the Merlot from all three vineyard sites. The weather of the past week has had a significant positive impact on flavors and skin tannin maturity.
Read MoreWow, ten bright yellow sun icons lining up on the weather web site. Much better than a Vegas slot machine, this could be a game changer for the red wines of vintage 2020.
Read MoreCool weather has slowed ripening. We are waiting for Merlot tannins to relax a bit more as their skins remain a bit tough and astringently drying.
Read MoreToday we take advantage of a pause in the harvest to transfer (rack) the fermenting 2020 Chardonnays into barrels. We start each individual lot in tanks, but as soon as the fermentation becomes vigorous and healthy they are pumped into barrels where they will ferment and age for a year.
Read MoreYesterday we picked the last of the Chardonnay, nearly two weeks after we started picking the first Hardscrabble Chardonnay. The time gap not only reflects our cooler than normal September, but also vine age.
Read MoreWhat a difference one fine day can make. Hardscrabble’s old Chardonnay vines, planted in the 1980’s, are always slow to finish ripening. All our other Chardonnays are now in the cellar fermenting away. But yesterday the old vines turned a corner.
Read MoreWeather gambles. How long does one hold off on picking before trouble brews? Hardscrabble’s old vine Chardonnay and Riesling are in the window of ripeness, but each sunny day will give more concentration and complexity to the resulting wines. But they are also fragile, meaning they could rot very easily with an extended rain event.
Read MoreToday is a rare day off from picking or crushing. The weather this coming week looks good. A few extra days of sun would benefit the grapes. Hardscrabble’s older Chardonnay vines will get a last kiss of a sunny, dry week before becoming wine.
Read MoreSally was a welcome no show. The cool weather ahead will allow use to relax the harvest pace. Each passing dry, sunny day gives a bit more concentration to the grapes. Unfortunately for the past few days the sunlight has been filtered by smoke haze coming from the West Coast fires.
Read MoreNever have we experienced such a cold start to harvest. This bodes well for the whites, but we wonder if the reds will ripen before the end of October when any hope of continued ripening comes to a close.
Read MoreAfter an interminable wait, today starts the big push. As expected, almost all the Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay at both Hardscrabble and Avenius are ripe. Flavors, aromas and acidities all fell in line over the weekend.
Read MoreYesterday was Linden’s first crush day. Logistically all went well. Some issues are always anticipated as there are a lot of moving parts that haven’t moved in 10 months. Happily, no surprises on this first day of crush.
Read MoreToday is the first day of harvest. Never have we had a start date that has changed so often.
Read MoreThis weekend’s weather was perfect: dry, cool, and sunny. Ripening is back on track and we have a weather forecast that is close to ideal.
Read MoreAt sunrise this morning the pond was smoking. Autumn’s first chill and summer warmed water combined to produce a fine wispy steam.
Read MoreToday ends a miserable week of weather. Rain, fog, mist, and clouds have stalled ripening and contributed to some rot. To what degree I do not know because I have stayed out of the vineyard.
Read MoreWe are ready for harvest. The August bottling has emptied barrels and tanks, crush equipment is running smoothly, and trucks, tractors and trailers operational. But the grapes are not ready.
Read MoreVintage 2020 is beginning to come into focus. Yesterday berry samples were taken, lab analysis run, and juice tasted. White grapes are first to ripen, so they command our full attention at this stage. The only definitive conclusion we can surmise is that 2020 will be a very late harvest.
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