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Harvest Update from Janet Myers - Winemaker - Franciscan Estate and Mount Veeder Winery - 8.28.09
HARVEST 2009 – Franciscan Estate and Mount Veeder Winery
August 28
Harvest has begun! We’re slowly getting into gear with Sauvignon blanc that started picking at a leisurely pace on August 17. We began with young vines, which are often precocious due to low crop loads. Harvest continued with old vine Sauvignon blanc during this past week of 8/24. Due to moderate temps in the 70’s or low 80’s, it’s been a very measured pace, no rush or urgency, getting the sugars just where we want, around 21-22 Brix. SB is showing everything from bright lime and grapefruit, to lychee, delicious melon and guava, nice complexity.
Harvest timing looks about normal or slightly behind. This has been a very mild summer without any major heatwaves. We had a few periods of hot weather but the nights always reached back into the 50’s, bringing respite to the vines, keeping ripening even and stress-free.
As of 8/28 a very hot weather pattern is starting, and we’ll be in the mid to upper 90’s for a few days. Sugars will likely jump at the next sampling. Fortunately, we’ve had no hot winds blowing down off the northern California interior, so it’s a heat that vines can easily handle.
Chardonnay is starting to have good flavors, apple notes moving from tart Granny Smith into juicier Fuji, with a few sweet Golden Delicious flavors popping up. Brix are around 21. At an average two Brix a week sugar accumulation, we’d expect to start picking around the second week of September, after Labor Day.
Red varieties are coming along, most are through veraison and colored up. One notable exception is Cabernet Franc up at Mount Veeder, which still has around 60% green berries, while the other Bordeaux varieties are almost completely purple. Early ripeners like Malbec are even getting soft and some redcurrant and berry flavor. Vines look healthy, canopies are in balance, and the vintage holds great promise for quality.
August 28
Harvest has begun! We’re slowly getting into gear with Sauvignon blanc that started picking at a leisurely pace on August 17. We began with young vines, which are often precocious due to low crop loads. Harvest continued with old vine Sauvignon blanc during this past week of 8/24. Due to moderate temps in the 70’s or low 80’s, it’s been a very measured pace, no rush or urgency, getting the sugars just where we want, around 21-22 Brix. SB is showing everything from bright lime and grapefruit, to lychee, delicious melon and guava, nice complexity.
Harvest timing looks about normal or slightly behind. This has been a very mild summer without any major heatwaves. We had a few periods of hot weather but the nights always reached back into the 50’s, bringing respite to the vines, keeping ripening even and stress-free.
As of 8/28 a very hot weather pattern is starting, and we’ll be in the mid to upper 90’s for a few days. Sugars will likely jump at the next sampling. Fortunately, we’ve had no hot winds blowing down off the northern California interior, so it’s a heat that vines can easily handle.
Chardonnay is starting to have good flavors, apple notes moving from tart Granny Smith into juicier Fuji, with a few sweet Golden Delicious flavors popping up. Brix are around 21. At an average two Brix a week sugar accumulation, we’d expect to start picking around the second week of September, after Labor Day.
Red varieties are coming along, most are through veraison and colored up. One notable exception is Cabernet Franc up at Mount Veeder, which still has around 60% green berries, while the other Bordeaux varieties are almost completely purple. Early ripeners like Malbec are even getting soft and some redcurrant and berry flavor. Vines look healthy, canopies are in balance, and the vintage holds great promise for quality.
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