[Chris Vais]

It looks as if we will receive our first fruit of the year, Pinot Grigio, in the next week or so, fully three weeks earlier than normal. Crop size will be about the same as last year, smaller than normal, but the fruit quality should be excellent.

 

Our 2015 white wines are all outstanding, in particular our Pinot Blanc, probably the best we have made to date. The Pinot Grigio Ramato, very good as well. For the first time we vinted an off dry Muscat Canelli that has proven to be a good seller. Unfortunately, no Chardonnay as our grower lost his entire crop to Eutypia. We will see a small amount of Chardonnay this year. I also made a batch of Rose, a blend of Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache, but sadly I didn't make enough and we are sold out. I has been my favorite wine for summer drinking.

 

A little to early to tell, but the 2015 reds are coming along nicely. Our 2013 reds, Mourvedre, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barber, Petit Sirah, and Grenache have all one multiple awards. On that basis we expect the 2014 and 2015 vintages to be outstanding.

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[Kaj Hallstrom]

Seems like the 2016 growing season has been even. Hope we don't get any heat spikes late. As you and I know Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc has increased in popularity. I hope those come in good. Curious. Where is the Mourvedre coming from?......Delta area? I know my old friend Sean Thackrey ( Orion, Pleadies) picked some great grapes from that area.

 

Time to make a fine Rhone blend...Love the Rhone wines!!!

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[94SilverCab]

Sounds like harvest is starting this week from Santa Barbara through Washington state. They say that PA wines will be decent this year with semi-drought conditions.

 

Can't wait to hear further reports.

 

Jay

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[Chris Vais]

Kaj, most of our fruit comes from the Livermore AVA. Across S. Vasco Rd from the winery is a subdivision of very expensive homes intermingled with small plots of wine grapes. Our Mourvedre and Grenache come from these vineyards. The fruit receives very little water since the grower has to compete with Wente for an allocation of the available irrigation water. So, for all practical purposes the fruit is dry cropped. We also get Barbera, Petite Sirah and Tempranillo from these small plots as well. There isn't much Mourvedre grown in the Livermore AVA. Fenestra has access to a small plot of vines that are more than 100 years old, located in Livermore. There are some really nice older plantings in Contra Costa County.

 

We do produce a Rhone blend made up from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Petite Sirah. In addition, I also saignee off juice from the Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre for a blended Rose. We also bottle Mourvedre, Grenache. Syrah, and Petite Sirah as single varietals. There is some white Rhone fruit available, but I haven't have tried to make a Rhone white yet.

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[Chris Vais]

We finished our 2016 harvest yesterday with 4 tons of cabernet sauvignon. Altogether, we crushed 42 tons of fruit. All of the fruit we received was in top form requiring fewer pre-fermentation  adjustments for acidity and brix. The yield was better for the growers,  but still below par. I believe that 2016 will prove to be a good year. We currently have 24 tons of fruit in fermentation and as these fermentations complete and I am able to taste the new wine, I'll have a better idea about the quality of the vintage.

 

Today there is a mad scramble to get the remaining fruit off the vines as northern California is faced with a major rainstorm to occur of the next 4 days. Any fruit left hanging is at risk of wind damage and brown rot.

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[Kaj Hallstrom]

Hope you get all the fruit in the house. Looks like heavy rain Friday morning. Everyone is reporting very good quality from the 2016 harvest. Let's hope it's the case. Napa calling Cabernet fruit outstanding........."The proof is in the pudding".....as they say.

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[94SilverCab]

I got a report from Portland that quality was very high but volume was lower than expected. Looking forward to some great wines.

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[Chris Vais]

We got all of our fruit in before the rain started. I had to send my cellar rats into the field to help bring in the Cabernet Sauvignon. All of the fruit we received was high quality, with acid and brix right where we wanted it. As I was checking our fermentation bins, the aroma coming from the Mourvedra was fantastic. The wine has that characteristic Mourvedra earthiness.

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[ds968]

Chris, I presume this extreme heat, if it continues for much longer, will have an impact on this year's pending harvest ? Particularly your Livermore area grapes ?

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[94SilverCab]

Hey Chris,

 

Looks like Livermore has been discovered

 

http://www.winemag.com/2017/06/19/an-int...livermore/

 

Jay

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