Ripening

Things are getting ripe and my computer exploded. Thus, the lack of photo or video enticement right now.

Josh’s Pinot is getting ripe. My test yesterday showed brix at 23.9, which is certainly close. That said, the very temperate weather up until this week has made acid levels pretty high so the pH is still a little low for my liking (hovering around 3.2). I would ideally like to get that up to around 3.4 (somewhere around 3.6 post-malo)– so it looks like I will be picking on acid like a sparkling producer! The flavors are really good– a little greenness in the pips and some gelatinous formation around them as well tells me that they are not quite ready to come in. Barring some 100 degree heat I think the DRC-clone Pinot will be coming in mid-way through next week.

I had not decided how I was going to vinify the fruit due to the last minute factor of getting it but I think I have decided to knock the heads off of some 2005 400L puncheons and ferment in them. That way I can get warmth in small-batches, something I would lose using a t-bin. That said, it will be the first ferment for Bedrock Wine Co. and I am sure that much trouble-shooting will inevitably take place! Also, since this is the first native yeast ferment done at the facility, ever, I will be making sure Ravenswood has a good ferment going to start a rescue culture from if things get hairy.

The old-vine vineyards for the California field blends are motoring along as well- save for Abbastanza which is just chillin’ right now. Bedrock Zin is in the 21-22 range, yet the Carignane, Syrah, and Barbera are hanging somewhere between 19 and 20 right now. Again, huge acids are making even the sweetest stuff taste not so sweet. The Mystery vineyard is a little higher than that– 23.5 brix for the zin as of today– and will certainly be the first of the field blends to come in.  I will be up to take a look at the Carignane and Pets this weekend.  Abbastanza is in the 14-18 range and a long ways off in sugar or flavor.

The Syrah from Kick Ranch is much riper than Old Lakeville– as would be expected, but both are weeks away, and the Bordeaux stuff is far enough off that I do not need to think about it.  So far, the hope for a well-staggered harvest seems to be happening.

Around the winery the redwood fermenters have been soaking in a citric/sulfur solution and are ready to get drained and waxed. I have emptied the Tonnellerie Baron ferment barrels of their TA/sulfur solution and gased them up– so they are now ready to use. I have taxed my underwhelming electrical skills and hotwired the Italian 220V, single phase destemmer so it is ready to whir-and-roll. Also, the last few barrels have come in from Nadalie, Boutes, Saury, and the Cadus I picked up from Josh.

In other words, everything is coming together– except my sanity.  What would harvest be if not for the sleepness nights of panic and worry!?

Song of the day, Van Morrison’s “Crazy Love”