What a great day! We started harvest at 6:45 this morning. Temperature was about 57. The crew jumped right to work and by 11 were just about done. The temperature by then might have been 70. So much for the feared and predicted heat storm. The grapes were down at Bin to Bottle for crushing by 11:30 and, as they only had one other vineyard scheduled to come in today, we didn’t have to wait. Crush began and was over by 2. Sometimes everything just works according to plan.
Bins were coming in light, but the fruit looked and tasted great. Our ten full 1/2 bins weighed 4.2 tons which means we will probably end up with 225-250 cases of 2009 Baconbrook. Of course, it will be a long time until that starts reaching you. Look out for the fruit of today’s labor in October 2012.


Winemaker Cary Gott

We estimate the juice will soak out to about 25.5 brix.
Additional pictures of harvest and the crush are on our Facebook Page.

The “heat” wave was a none event. St Helena was in the low 90’s today while they expected it to be at least 10 degrees hotter. Everything came through fine. Tomorrow we harvest Baconbrook. Below are the numbers from Tuesday at Butterdragon Hill.

7AM Saturday 9/19
Brix 25.1
Ph 3.52
TA 0.57
Irrigated in prep for the expected heat wave.

Our winemaker, Cary Gott, just walked Baconbrook (Spring Mountain District) and reports “the vineyard and the vines are in great shape with many basel leaves browning but most bunches are firm.” We are penciling in harvest for next Wednesday.
9/17
Block Var Brix
1 CS 23.8
2 CS 24.5

Brix is climbing slowly, which we like, at Butterdragon (St Helena AVA) but it is supposed to get hotter this weekend and next week. I really wouldn’t be surprised if we suddenly decide to harvest next week.
Cab clone 337
9/16 – 24.4 (9/8 – 23.4)
Cab clone 7
9/16 – 23.8 (9/8 – 23.4)
Cab clone 15
9/16 – 23.4 (9/8 – 22.6)
Merlot clone 181
9/16 – 23.6 (9/8 – 23.4, 8/31 – 22.2)

winemaker Cary Gott walked Butterdragon today… says the fruit is the best he’s seen in the Valley this year and expects a bountiful (bigger than expected) crop… sugars will be done tomorrow. Numbers may be up but flavors aren’t there yet. Baconbrook may harvest next week.

Cabernet Sauvignon clone 337 = 23.4
CS clone 7 = 23.4
CS clone 15 = 22.6
Merlot clone 181 = 23.4 (was 22.2 on 8/31)

I know we’re lucky here in California, particularly in Northern California and wine country, when it comes to being able to bring wine to a restaurant. Many folks in other parts of the country can only dream of being able to legally do this. Although it’s not unusual for a corkage fee to be waived, particularly if one also buys wine from the restaurant’s list, typically the charge ranges from $15 per bottle to $50, usually towards the lower end of that scale. So the other night, we’re at a local Oakland place that I like to support. It’s near our house and the food is excellent. BUT, the wine service was terrible on this night. The waiter popped the corks on some really good bottles, brought the cheapest, smallest stemware, did not have a decanter available for our red wine, and waited too long to bring out an ice bucket for our white. [Sigh.] Corkage was $20 per bottle. I was none too pleased paying $40 basically for the waiter to use a cork screw and for them to stick a few glasses in a dishwasher. I’ve been there before and received excellent wine service on my brought bottles, so I will give them one more chance. Still…

If you’re going to charge me corkage, give me good wine service.

• 1997 Oakford Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (9/3/2009)
  Brooding and dark with moist earth, tobacco, and some sour blackberry. Unlike a few recent tasters, I think this wine has past its prime. While still showing significant tannins, I don’t think the fruit balance is there for longer aging. Could perhaps have benefited from a vigorous decant which unfortunately wasn’t available with mediocre BYOB wine service at a local restaurant. (86 pts.)
• 1996 Kistler Chardonnay Vine Hill Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (9/3/2009)
  Deep gold color and huge nut and butterscotch nose. Butterscotch and caramel flavors predominate with honey-lemon tea undertones. This wine suffered from rather indifferent wine service at BYOB local restaurant. The requested ice-bucket never arrived. Not rated as I don’t think we were able to see this bottle at its best. Still, I love Kistlers with some age!

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• 2005 Karl Lawrence Aldin Red Table Wine – USA, California, Napa Valley (9/4/2009)
  The red wine from Aldin (Karl Lawrence) represents one of the best values in Napa Valley. A right-on-the-money profile of rich raspberry and currant with enticing flavors from a midsummer garden and cedar backbone. Not tannic, not overbearing, it just delivers an excellent bottle of wine and in a complex vintage like 2005 it can’t be beat at the price. Note that this wine shows its best right out of the bottle and doesn’t need an extended decant… it tends to turn dusty with a lot of air and after open for a while. (87 pts.)

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• 2007 A.P. Vin Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch Vineyard – USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (9/4/2009)
  Opened this one a bit early to get a sneak peek at AP Vin. Keefer Ranch, in my opinion, provides some of the best Pinot Noir fruit out of Sonoma and Andrew’s interpretation does not disappoint. Still a bit primary, the wine exhibits lovely cherry cola fruit with a touch of green herb that I liked. Hint of sweet oak and a ceamy mouthfeel, but not heavy, with just the right balance of acidity to keep it light and promising greater things for the future of this wine. Hold for 2-3 more years. (89 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker