“Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down.”
It was a Dickens of a fall. A tale of two harvests. It was the driest of times, it was the wettest of times. The early varieties basked in the heat and sunshine. The Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were as ripe and clean as we have ever picked. This was going to be easy! A harvest for the ages! Then all the people praying for rain got their wish. We had the wettest October on record. Over 11 inches of rain with only one four-day stretch without rain. Still, the grapes stayed surprisingly nice. All that worrying for nothing! Excellent flavors in the Merlot, Riesling and Cabernet. Just not the record ripeness of the earlier varieties. Now it's up to Keith to work his magic in the cellar. Like I often say, "We are paid professionals. Don't you at home try this!" In the meantime, we are putting the finishing touches on a fabulous new wine just in time for the holidays! From the 2014 harvest many people are trying to forget we crafted a doozy of a port style wine. Mostly composed of stressed, shriveled Pinot Noir grapes, it spent two years in French oak just waiting for the tannins to calm down and mesh with the incredible cherry notes of the pinot. It comes in a 375 ml bottle and makes the cutest little stocking stuffer you could ask for. You might even want to leave one out for Santa with a few cookies...or a cigar! Coming in December!
Just started pouring our latest vintage of Fume' Blanc, an oak aged Sauvignon Blanc from 2016. Wonderful, mellow citrus. Beautifully balanced. Great wine for in front of the fireplace. Harvested our first crop of Malbec this fall from a spectacular neighboring vineyard. It will see a year in oak before we are ready to release that one, so now I'm just teasing you! Last day open at the tasting room is Friday, December 22nd. If you're making your list and checking it twice please try to get here before then and stock up. Otherwise it could be a Dickens of a Christmas!
“Into the blue again. After the money’s gone. Once in a lifetime. ”