Catching up now that rain is here and we get a nice break. I’m only 1/3 in, didn’t pick as early this year as I might have because indeed sugars and acids aren’t high / low at all and the fruit seems to want that little extra time. One pick is still out there because of picking crew issues but I see it as an experiment to pick a little later and see what we get. Incredibly happy with fruit quality so far. Also incredibly happy to be chilling on a soft couch mid-morning…
2 Likes
I picked my Grenache from the Prosser, WA area on Weds and Fri last week. Friday’s pick was 2 weeks earlier than last year. One of the blocks was a touch over-ripe, the other a touch under-ripe, but I’ll take them as they are so I don’t have to make two trips to get the fruit. Overall, my brix and acids are about where the were last year. Those two picks are my only two picks of the year, and I am all in before most of the other wineries I share space with have any of their Pinot Noir in the building (which also happened last year).
Closing on 75% now. Took the weekend off from picking, more due to vineyard access issues (try going up in our vineyard after a rain following 100+ days of dryness) than anything else. Picking the Estate Chardonnay tomorrow which pretty much raps up the white grapes (other than a funny and funky pick of Sauvignon Blanc on the east side of the valley). Knocking out 15~ tons/day of Pinot every day this week. By Sunday I will have everything in except maybe one block of Pinot Noir.
1 Like
We’re paralleling you. Not as much this week until the weekend, but we’ll pull almost everything then.
Hmm, reading through this thread (twice) it seems like you folks are feeling pretty happy with the vintage. Gratz!
1 Like
So far so good
Just when I thought that I was out and in the clear… pesky consulting gig. So my two cents:
Clean, ripe in a civilized manner, big seeds (and lots of them), foamy, destemmed it. So while it’s not the vintage of the century, it does show restraint and class. My guess is that it shows well early too.
Do tell
Claygate hired me to help Brianne Day take over their winemaking.
1 Like
Destemmed it? Who are you and what have you done with Todd?
…or perhaps consulting requires being more conservative? 
1 Like
I always destemmed Claygate as it’s never been a Todd wine. I would take other chances though as destemmed wine is pretty accomodating to make.
1 Like
That’s a funny sentence.
Defending house style, that’s all. It’s easier to show than explain.