2006 Harvest Update

Despite the recent mellowing of the weather (rain, rain stay away…) we find ourselves suddenly in the midst of harvesting our red grapes.  Last time I wrote we were happily picking small blocks of Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc and then today I find myself knee deep in Cabernet and Merlot.  The great news is that we have some truly delicious blocks of both varieties exhibiting beautiful, balanced and evenly ripened characteristics.  This level of quality comes at a price, however.  Our hardworking crew has worked feverishly to remove any clusters that didn’t fit our quality profile at the same time as carefully tending tired vines in an effort to coax that last, vital burst of energy into the few clusters that remain.  Some of our younger vines produce such tiny yields that harvesting itself becomes a lengthy affair.  Earlier today we spent 10 hours from 3 am until the afternoon picking Cabernet Sauvignon from some of our newer, high density hillside blocks.  Our yields are so low that it takes all this time just to harvest enough fruit for 150 cases of wine. This truly is hard work but the pay-off will hopefully be seen in the coming months when these small clusters of little, inky black berries turn into aromatic, spicy and beguiling wine. 

It is an awesome sight to watch our crew happily (yes, happily) turn out in the wee hours of the morning to quite literally harvest the fruits of their labor.  It is still night when the crew begins and our lights throw an eerie glow across the ranch – quite beautiful and still spectacular no matter how many times I see it.  This time of year is always a strange combination of fear, excitement and hope.  The flavors that we can taste in the vineyard are some of the best ever and I am more excited about the potential for superlative quality than anything else….watch this space!

Ames Morison, Winemaker