2011 Harvest Update

Almost every year around this time Chicken Little makes an appearance to tell us the sky is falling.  This morning he was on the radio proclaiming gloom and doom for the 2011 vintage.   I have to say that I don’t share his pessimism.  Sure it’s a little nerve wracking just waiting for grapes to ripen when we are having some drizzly weather, but it’s important to look at facts and make assessments on what we know and see in the vineyards.  What I do know is th at this year, so far, is a lot like 2010 when people were very nervous going into early October.  The wines of 2010, howe ver, turned out to be great expressions of our cool climate viticulture with bright color, vibrant aromatics and ripe yet lively flavors.  In some ways they are some of the best we have made here at Montinore.

This year has progressed in much the same way as the last: late bud break, late bloom, cooler summer, very warm September and now a mix of sun and clouds so far in October.  When you look at total heat units for this growing season, 2011 has been warmer than 2010.  As I walk out in the vineyards I see firm, clean fruit and healthy vines that are moving right along toward ripening.  As of 10/3 our Pinot blocks were closing in on maturity with Brix levels in the 18 to 20 range.   I think it’s important to remember that vines ripen in response to “inside” forces as well as “outside”.  It’s true that they slow down when things get cooler but even at 60 degrees they are still building sugar and flavors.  As long as the fruit is clean and the vines are working we are getting closer to that point of perfection.  For me, I welcome the extended hang time.  It helps produce more complex and interesting flavor profiles and that’s what we want.   Sure I’m nervous, but at the end of the day I wouldn’t want to be growing Pinot Noir and our cool climate whites anywhere else.