The makings of another great, unadulterated Oregon Pinot vintage.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Pressed, Settled, & Racked Wine this Week from First Pick; Should Be Done by Thanksgiving
Beautiful, spicy fruit aromas and flavors; nice, well-developed tannins; juicy, pre-ML acids; and dark, dark color - without saignée, concentrator, or sugar additions!
The makings of another great, unadulterated Oregon Pinot vintage.
The makings of another great, unadulterated Oregon Pinot vintage.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Nov. 2, Final Day of Our 2011 Harvest
Rainwater from 2 days earlier, fog, and seven hours below freezing last night => 1/4 - 1/2" of ice on the picking bins. Mother Nature's providing the chilling for this year's cold soak.
Despite another anxiety-filled season, we feel fortunate. Our fruit is excellent (great, ripe flavors; good sugar and acid levels; minimum rot; no bird damage) and good yields. And, by the end of the season, the two customers (2 of the 3 largest Oregon wineries) who refused to pay for their grapes last year finally did so - sometimes the small guys do win!
Looks like a season when attention to post-bloom vineyard work determined the quality of the grapes; a vintage when selective wine buying will pay off. Many wineries adding sugar this year as their fruit failed to ripen to acceptable brix levels. Moderate amounts of rot also, due to large, tight clusters and the timing of at least 2 two weeks of perfect botrytis-inducing weather at the beginning of October. Lot's of birds again, too.
La Niña conditions building in the Pacific...2012,deja vu all over again?
Despite another anxiety-filled season, we feel fortunate. Our fruit is excellent (great, ripe flavors; good sugar and acid levels; minimum rot; no bird damage) and good yields. And, by the end of the season, the two customers (2 of the 3 largest Oregon wineries) who refused to pay for their grapes last year finally did so - sometimes the small guys do win!
Looks like a season when attention to post-bloom vineyard work determined the quality of the grapes; a vintage when selective wine buying will pay off. Many wineries adding sugar this year as their fruit failed to ripen to acceptable brix levels. Moderate amounts of rot also, due to large, tight clusters and the timing of at least 2 two weeks of perfect botrytis-inducing weather at the beginning of October. Lot's of birds again, too.
La Niña conditions building in the Pacific...2012,deja vu all over again?
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Mini Icicles & Frost on Grapes This Morning, Harvest-Ending Rains Forecasted
Five hours at or below freezing last night along with rain-soaked vines & fog led to moderate frost and ice on the remaining fruit this morning. We're looking to get our last pick done tomorrow before the rain starts in earnest, 4" forecast for the next two weeks.
Chilly, but beautiful, clear and sunny day today.
Chilly, but beautiful, clear and sunny day today.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
October 27, Harvest Begins...and A Great One It's Looking To Be!!!
Beautiful sunny, 40 F morning
First buckets
Celeste and Hua Hua field sorting clusters
Long, hard day's work just beginning
An exceptionally tough season's reward
Preliminary Brix & pH:
Pommard/Wadenswil Fermenters - Brix 25.5, pH 3.49
114/115 Fermenters - Brix 23.5, pH 3.37
First buckets
Celeste and Hua Hua field sorting clusters
Long, hard day's work just beginning
An exceptionally tough season's reward
Preliminary Brix & pH:
Pommard/Wadenswil Fermenters - Brix 25.5, pH 3.49
114/115 Fermenters - Brix 23.5, pH 3.37
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Light Frost Last Night, Heavier Frost Expected Tonight
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR 303 AM PDT TUE OCT 25 2011 ORZ001>009-014-WAZ020>023-039-261315- NORTH OREGON COAST-CENTRAL OREGON COAST- COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON- CENTRAL COAST RANGE OF WESTERN OREGON-LOWER COLUMBIA- GREATER PORTLAND METRO AREA-CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY- SOUTH WILLAMETTE VALLEY-WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE- UPPER HOOD RIVER VALLEY-WILLAPA HILLS-SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST-I- 5 CORRIDOR IN COWLITZ COUNTY-GREATER VANCOUVER AREA- 303 AM PDT TUE OCT 25 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT COOL TEMPERATURES WITH AREAS OF FROST EXPECTED THIS MORNING AND AGAIN LATE TONIGHT. REFER TO THE LATEST FORECASTS (PDXNPWPQR) AND (PDXZFPPQR) FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY COOL TEMPERATURES WITH AREAS OF FROST EXPECTED EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. REFER TO THE LATEST FORECASTS (PDXNPWPQR) AND (PDXZFPPQR) FOR FURTHER DETAILS.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Drying Out After 2 Weeks of Wet Weather, Flavors Coming On Strong
The grapes are in pretty good shape in spite of almost 2 inches of rain and perfect Botrytis conditions during the first two weeks of the month; skin tannins are well developed, seeds are browning, and flavors are intensifying. With a few days of sun this week, sugar levels have begun climbing again; and some blocks should be ready for harvest next week...if the birds and frost allow.
Clone 114: Brix 23.0, pH 3.1
Clone 115: Brix 22.5, pH 3.1
Wadenswil Clone: Brix 23.5, pH 3.2
Pommard Clone: Brix 23.5, pH 3.2
Clone 114: Brix 23.0, pH 3.1
Clone 115: Brix 22.5, pH 3.1
Wadenswil Clone: Brix 23.5, pH 3.2
Pommard Clone: Brix 23.5, pH 3.2
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Clusters Fully Colored, Final Ripening Begins
This September was one of the warmest Septembers in recent history with 467 heating degree days, easily surpassing 2009's 402 heating degree days, and bringing 2011 cumulative heating degree days to levels seen in all but the hottest recent years.
We've hardly had any rain since mid-July, only a quarter inch in September.
As a result, the grapes are now uniformly black, around 19-20 Brix, and 2.9-3.0 pH. Although the berries have softened, the skins are still fairly tough, skin tannins and flavors are not yet perceptible. We now head into the final weeks of ripening.
As of this morning, still wet from last night's rain:
Clone 114
Clone 115
Wadenswil Clone
Pommard Clone
We've hardly had any rain since mid-July, only a quarter inch in September.
As a result, the grapes are now uniformly black, around 19-20 Brix, and 2.9-3.0 pH. Although the berries have softened, the skins are still fairly tough, skin tannins and flavors are not yet perceptible. We now head into the final weeks of ripening.
As of this morning, still wet from last night's rain:
Clone 114
Clone 115
Wadenswil Clone
Pommard Clone
Sunday, September 11, 2011
One of the Warmest Mid-Bloom to Mid-Veraison Periods In Recent Years
Clone 114
Clone 115
Pommard Clone
Wadenswil Clone
Heating Degree Days: Mid-Bloom to Mid-Veraison
2006 - 976
2007 - 1,006
2008 - 1,087
2009 - 1,126
2010 - 989
2011 - 1,135
Calendar Days: Mid-Veraison to Harvest
2006 - 42
2007 - 47
2008 - 44
2009 - 39
2010 - 48
2011 - ??
Thursday, September 1, 2011
August Season-to-Date Rainfall & Heat Info
The cumulative rainfall graph shows good replenishment over the winter, and dry weather since budbreak.
Even so, we could use a few drops of rain. Although our local weather station shows that a rare, passing August thunderstorm dropped a tenth of an inch of rain last week, in our vineyard we haven't had rain since mid-July, and in some neighboring vineyards we're beginning to see the vines yellowing.
The cumulative heating degree days graph is downright gloomy!
With 1410 total heating degree days so far, 2011 is one of the coldest seasons ever.
BUT, fortunately, the total heating degree days by itself does not tell the real story. Take a look at the August numbers:
We just finished one of the hottest Augusts in recent history. In addition to receiving a healthy dose of heat, we got it in the best way - consistent daytime mid-80s/nighttime mid-50s; spiking into the 90s only 6 days, the highest being 96.
After we reach mid-veraison, I'll post the heating degree days as they coincided with the vine and berry development stages. What basically happened this season was that we didn't have much heat until mid- to late-June, so budbreak was pushed way late into the calendar. BUT, after that, we received the highest levels of heat in recent years during the period of budbreak through mid-bloom (providing as close to perfect fruit set as possible). And now, we are on-track to record the highest levels of heat in recent years for the period mid-bloom through mid-veraison (and being delivered in as gentle and consistent a manner as could be hoped for).
Of course, there is a potential downside - we are just beginning veraison, and it's September 1. As the days get shorter, daily temps drop with nighttime lows falling below the critical 50 degree level, and we approach the end of the dry season; will we have sufficient heat, sunlight, and dry weather to ripen the fruit into late October/early November?
Except, perhaps, for the near-term precipitation part, here's the type of news we are hoping to continue to hear from the National Weather Service:
The cumulative heating degree days graph is downright gloomy!
BUT, fortunately, the total heating degree days by itself does not tell the real story. Take a look at the August numbers:
After we reach mid-veraison, I'll post the heating degree days as they coincided with the vine and berry development stages. What basically happened this season was that we didn't have much heat until mid- to late-June, so budbreak was pushed way late into the calendar. BUT, after that, we received the highest levels of heat in recent years during the period of budbreak through mid-bloom (providing as close to perfect fruit set as possible). And now, we are on-track to record the highest levels of heat in recent years for the period mid-bloom through mid-veraison (and being delivered in as gentle and consistent a manner as could be hoped for).
Of course, there is a potential downside - we are just beginning veraison, and it's September 1. As the days get shorter, daily temps drop with nighttime lows falling below the critical 50 degree level, and we approach the end of the dry season; will we have sufficient heat, sunlight, and dry weather to ripen the fruit into late October/early November?
Except, perhaps, for the near-term precipitation part, here's the type of news we are hoping to continue to hear from the National Weather Service:
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
244 AM PDT THU SEP 1 2011
.SYNOPSIS... WARMER TEMPERATURES WILL BE THE BIG STORY OVER THE NEXT WEEK WITH TEMPERATURES EXCEEDING 90 F A FEW TIMES. NO PRECIPITATION IN SIGHT AND EAST WINDS AT TIMES WILL MAKE EARLY SEPTEMBER FEEL MORE LIKE THE MIDDLE OF A NORMAL JULY.
Friday, August 26, 2011
First Color
'Saw the first signs of color on Tuesday. Multiple vines, rows, and clones coloring by today. A few days to a week behind last year.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Lag - Seeds Hard and Endless Clear, Dry August Days in the 80s
Seeds started becoming too hard to slice through around the 13th of August, signaling Lag. Usually this is the earliest that most growers start dropping fruit. But given the likelihood of the latest harvest ever, some dropped fruit while stripping basal leaves at the end of bloom.
Three weeks ago I drove around Ribbon Ridge and Worden Hill Road and the most eager growers had already stripped the first several nodes of leaves, mostly on the east sides of the rows; some had stripped both sides leaving 12-18" of bare shoots and clusters between the fruiting cane and the remaining leaves. By last week, most vineyards had removed more leaves on the east sides of rows than I've seen before at this point in the season. If we get any sunburn this year, it'll likely be tomorrow (when Portland is expected to hit 90 for the first time this summer), or next week when another heat spike is expected.
The owner of our local vineyard supply company is urging growers to keep spraying into September for mildew in order to protect the younger leaves that will ripen the grapes through Halloween and beyond. He's also advising upping applications of Potassium based sprays to help boost sugar production. And just for good measure, in his own vineyard, he thinned fruit to 1 cluster per shoot shortly after bloom.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture is forecasting dry, slightly warmer than average weather through October; with the big rains that normally start at the end of Sebtember/beginning of October holding off until the last week of October.
What's a grower to do? Especially when it looks like this...day after day.
Three weeks ago I drove around Ribbon Ridge and Worden Hill Road and the most eager growers had already stripped the first several nodes of leaves, mostly on the east sides of the rows; some had stripped both sides leaving 12-18" of bare shoots and clusters between the fruiting cane and the remaining leaves. By last week, most vineyards had removed more leaves on the east sides of rows than I've seen before at this point in the season. If we get any sunburn this year, it'll likely be tomorrow (when Portland is expected to hit 90 for the first time this summer), or next week when another heat spike is expected.
The owner of our local vineyard supply company is urging growers to keep spraying into September for mildew in order to protect the younger leaves that will ripen the grapes through Halloween and beyond. He's also advising upping applications of Potassium based sprays to help boost sugar production. And just for good measure, in his own vineyard, he thinned fruit to 1 cluster per shoot shortly after bloom.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture is forecasting dry, slightly warmer than average weather through October; with the big rains that normally start at the end of Sebtember/beginning of October holding off until the last week of October.
What's a grower to do? Especially when it looks like this...day after day.
We've already pulled laterals and leaves on the east side to just above the second cluster. We've let the vines grow a few extra inches taller this year, having anticipated pulling leaves earlier and heavier than normal. Today we are dropping wings, 3rd clusters, clusters on short/damaged shoots, and thinning the remaining clusters to each winery's specs. On our own rows, we're estimating that we'll end up somewhere between 1.25 and 1.5 tons/acre - what a bummer, after a near perfect set this year; but even if we get perfect ripening conditions, October heat and sunlight isn't likely to ripen a full crop.
I'm hoping for first signs of color sometime around the end of next week, we'll see.
114
115
Wadenswil
Pommard
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Bunch Closure
July daily temps averaged 1 degree below normal, continuing the coolest year we've had in recent memory. However, when comparing temps as they coincide with vine development, for the period from budbreak through mid-bloom, we've had more heating degree days during 2011 than any recent growing season. And, if the slightly higher than average daily temps we began having a week or two ago continue as forecasted, we could end up with a solid heating degree day total for the mid-bloom to mid-veraison period. We'll get a pretty good idea of the earliest harvest will begin once veraison starts; my guess is veraison will begin sometime around the third week of August, making for another mid- to late- October harvest at our vineyard.
We had rain on 3 days during mid July, which broke the string of rainless days since the first week of June. Timing was excellent, since it came near the end of bloom, and only amounted to slightly less than 3/4 of an inch, a tad more than normal.
The 3 month forecast, based on analog years, is showing average temps with the rainy season holding off until late October.
I had a good chuckle the other day when a potential grape customer from out-of-state decided not to buy from us for his inaugural Pinot vintage, saying 2011 is a questionable vintage. So far, the only thing that is questionable is what the last 30 days of the season will be like - which is the same question we have every season, and the answer usually is a good one when we're not ripening during a September heat spike.
The vines are in great shape, with canopy growth starting to slow as the clusters start closing up and seed development moves forward. This year's set produced huge numbers of berries, sample counts show 120-160 berries/cluster in most areas of the vineyard; approximately 2X last year's counts. While it remains to be seen what the resulting berry size and cluster weights will be, we already know we'll have large tight clusters this year.
Clone 114
Clone 115
Wadenswil Clone
Pommard Clone
We had rain on 3 days during mid July, which broke the string of rainless days since the first week of June. Timing was excellent, since it came near the end of bloom, and only amounted to slightly less than 3/4 of an inch, a tad more than normal.
The 3 month forecast, based on analog years, is showing average temps with the rainy season holding off until late October.
I had a good chuckle the other day when a potential grape customer from out-of-state decided not to buy from us for his inaugural Pinot vintage, saying 2011 is a questionable vintage. So far, the only thing that is questionable is what the last 30 days of the season will be like - which is the same question we have every season, and the answer usually is a good one when we're not ripening during a September heat spike.
The vines are in great shape, with canopy growth starting to slow as the clusters start closing up and seed development moves forward. This year's set produced huge numbers of berries, sample counts show 120-160 berries/cluster in most areas of the vineyard; approximately 2X last year's counts. While it remains to be seen what the resulting berry size and cluster weights will be, we already know we'll have large tight clusters this year.
Clone 114
Clone 115
Wadenswil Clone
Pommard Clone
Friday, July 15, 2011
Good Set This Season!
The vines are just finishing bloom and are setting this year's crop. Like 2010 set is late again this year; but unlike last year, we've had a near perfect bloom and set. The vine canopies are well developed and looking very healthy. We'll see how the weather cooperates in getting this year's crop prepared for another late harvest. For now the good weather looks to continue into the foreseeable future.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)