11 November 2008
After 30 grape harvests, the differences from vintage to vintage continue to amaze me. And even though we in California do not have to routinely deal with really bad weather, as winemakers in Oregon, France, and Germany must in most vintages, we do have our climatic issues to ponder.
For example, consider the Spring weather of the last four vintages: 2006 was quite a wet Winter and Spring and moderate temperatures; 2007 was dry with moderate temperatures; 2008 was drier but colder, with significant freezes; and 2009 had moderate temperatures but the final big, cold rain of the season came in early May. Wet Spring weather sets up conditions for mildew and mold in the vineyard, just as the new buds open in March. Wet weather alternating with warmer, sunny days favors leaf production which hinders air movement in the canopy, causing higher humidity. Mildew and mold pressure was intense in 2006. The same was true in 2009, with the added problem of wet fog in August and September, and then rain in mid-October. The still air and unusually high humidity that followed the storm that began on October 12 rendered thin-skinned grape varieties that had not been harvested – virtually all the white grapes and Zins – unpickable for quality wine production. Now consider the back-to-back vintages of 2007 and 2008. Both vintages had cool Spring weather but freezes of 2008 seriously lowered crop load in early blooming varieties like Sauvignon Blanc. The growing season of 2007 was moderate and even, with a normal fruit load. But 2008 had summer and fall heat spikes that caught winemakers off guard when the small crop ripened weeks earlier than usual.
I was probably lucky to not have picked Pinot this year, due to considerations mentioned above. But couldn’t afford to do it because of the recession. Restaurant revenue is down and inventory has backed up in the warehouse. However, I did harvest and make the first vintage of Rockpile Zinfandel from my very own little vineyard on Rockpile Road. I was the first person in the entire Rockpile AVA to pick – a young vineyard with a small crop ripens early. The vines also don’t have much of a canopy yet, so I battled with the birds and the raccoons for the grapes as they ripened. I tied reflective red and silver tape on alternate vines in one entire acre to scare the birds. It didn’t work but that part of the vineyard is already decorated for Christmas. My daughter and I humanely trapped an entire family of raccoons and relocated them, and then repaired all the holes in the vineyard fence. We’re still trying to figure out how the deer manage to get in. At least they’re gone now, with the leaves turning from tasty green to yellow, orange and red.
The young Zin was fermented in half-ton bins for almost two weeks and then gently pressed. It’s resting in 5 French barrels now, slowly going through malo-lactic. I’ll begin topping and stirring it after Halloween. The stirring integrates oak flavor while agitating the lees. Lees are the old yeast cells from the primary ferment and the new, growing population of malo-lactic bacteria that reduce wine acidity. When they’ve converted all the malic acid to lactic acid, and this requires several months, it will be time to rack or separate the wine from the lees, wash the barrels, and return the clarified wine for aging. At last, a brief respite for the winemaker until it’s time to bottle in the late summer!
Send your comments to info@davenportwines.com. And, most important, TRY THE WINES! The Holidays are just around the corner and Pinot is a perfect wine to accompany turkey and ham, or a standing rib roast, if you’re lucky enough to find one in the fridge.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND WISHES FOR A HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS 2010.
