Harvest, Already?!

Well, it’s true.  Bedrock Wine Co. will welcome the first fruit of 2009 next week.  Seems rather uncanny as most of the vineyards in Sonoma County are not even done with veraison, and in the case of Dolinsek Ranch, Griffin’s Lair, and Wildcat Mountain are barely just starting.  However, the Central Coast offers a much different climate!  and this combined with the absurdly low crop levels at Brosseau Vineyard, means that Chardonnay will be coming next week!

I visited yesterday after receiving a call from Bill Brosseau that the Chardonnay was approaching 20 brix.  Since I am hoping to pick on the low side of 23 brix (13% or so potential alcohol), this means picking will start soon.  What is uncanny about Brosseau is that it defies the general logic of hangtime= quality.  This is for a number of reasons.  First, the Chardonnay was planted in 1981 on its own roots and is classic shot-berry Wente clone– meaning tiny clusters with lots of tiny berries.  Second, the soil is layered limestone and decomposed granite– so essentially a mythical mix of the Cote D’or and the northern Rhone, with very thin topsoil.  The Chalone appellation is warm, but the soil temperatures also tend to be much warmer than most vineyard sites.  This, combined with crops of 1 to 1.5 tons per acre, means that it ripens on the earlier side.  The wines tend to be very minerally and elegant, and I hope to focus this impulse by picking on the earlier side and using no new oak on the wine– it will be made like old-school Chablis.  Even at 19-20 brix yesterday the fruit showed remarkable length, density, and richness.

Check out this cool animation showing where Brosseau Vineyard is:

http://www.brosseauwines.com/flash/brosseau_virtual.swf

It will also be the first fruit coming into Patz and Hall, where I will be making the white wines of Bedrock this year– this Chardonnay, the Portis Heirloom White, Cuvee Caritas, and the first vintage of the Galician white project with Michael Havens for which we are receiving the first block of Albarino planted in the United States.