Harvest

As you can imagine, we're pretty busy this time of year. This season has been long - great for flavors, tannins and beautiful fruit (which is what we're always crusading for) but one of the great unknowns is always the weather.  Earlier this month we had heavy rains (almost 6 inches in total) which worried many growers to the extent that they picked everything they had, ready or not.  We questioned ourselves (just a little and some of us more than others) as neighbors hustled to harvest and we waited for better weather and better flavors to materialize.  Our Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are tougher varieties - better suited to patches of inclement weather than most others - and so we rolled the dice a little and crossed our fingers.  Fortunately, we've had perfect weather during the past week and it looks set to continue through the end of the month.  Success! The extra hang-time has truly made a difference.  A little extra fruit maturity has resulted in supple tannins, rich flavors and all at lower sugar levels than we'd normally expect.  We're now working long days to bring the rest of our fruit in before the weather loses patience with us and turns for good.  No more gambling for us this year.  Our crew has worked so very hard already and we're grateful for all their commitment and long hours.  If you're planning on visiting over the next week or so don't be surprised to see some tired faces - but the good news is that 2009 is shaping up very nicely indeed.  Something we look forward to sharing with you over the next few years.....