2020 wines: First Impressions
Writing about wines at this early stage may be premature, but we are getting a sense of the vintage, which correlates with our expectations as harvest unfolded.
Read MoreFinal Day of Crush 2020
Today we crush and press the Petit Manseng grapes we harvested yesterday. Their acidity remained stubbornly high this year, a reflection of a cool September and October, so we took advantage of the Indian summer days of last week. The warm days did take a bit of edge off of the bright acidity, but those grapes still remind me of the “Sweet Tart” candies I enjoyed as a kid.
Read MorePalate Based Winemaking
During crush and fermentation, winemaking decisions are made by tasting. Palate based analysis produces instant results. During a time when we have no time this works wonderfully. Winegrowers can do this successfully as we have been intimately tied to our vines for decades. Same grapes from the same vines at the same winery. Decisions are not so much intuitive as they are empirical.
Read MorePatience Rewards
All red wine grapes have now been harvested, sorted and crushed. They are now fermenting and being pumped over once a day.
Read MoreFinal Day for Red Harvest
Today we pick the last of the Hardscrabble Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. I forgot what it is like to pick on frosty mornings, waiting for the sun to rise and warm over the eastern ridge. These last days have been very satisfying as the clusters are in good shape with flavors resolved.
Read MoreHome Stretch
Boisseau and Avenius Vineyards are now all picked. Bare vines throughout. No more grapes. No more worries. Bittersweet best describes feeling when walking rows of naked vines. Exhaustion and exuberance.
Read MoreCrush Rush
Yesterday started dark, damp and gloomy which made picking arduous. By mid-morning the clouds parted and a cool, drying breeze lifted our spirits. The day’s harvest was all about rosé.
Read MoreUnknown Conclusion from Harvest
Rain from Delta leads the rest of harvest down a yet to be determined path. Berry integrity will dictate picking decisions. Most blocks went into the rain in good shape with thick skins. If they weather the rain of the past 24 hours in good shape, then we will hold off on picking for red wines and allow the grapes to take advantage of the sun and breezes starting tomorrow.
Read MoreReady for Delta
Yesterday we picked a variety of blocks that were in the window of ripeness.
Read MoreRespecting and Discovering Terroir
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 MoreBack to It
We 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 MoreOctober Surprise
Wow, 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 MoreThe Courage to Do Nothing
Cool 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 MoreBarrel Switch
Today 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 MoreChardonnay Harvest Complete
Yesterday 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 MoreOne Fine Day
What 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 MoreTaking Full Advantage of the Weather
Weather 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 MorePause
Today 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 MoreClear Sailing
Sally 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.
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