Some would say that after the past couple challenging harvest in the Napa Valley, that we were due for a wonderfully "typical" year. I would say that so far at Vineyard 7&8, that is almost exactly what we have received!
The 2012 growing season was marked by summer temperatures that were back to normal for our region, and continued into the fall with warm days and cooler evenings. This, paired with a great fruit set in the vineyards, pointed way for what could be a relatively calm and moderately paced harvest!
That was until this past week! It was simply amazing. Driving to the winery this week in the early morning before sunrise, the temperatures on the valley floor were in the upper 50's, but when I made it to the top of Spring Mountain, at 2000 feet above the valley floor, the temperatures were already pushing into the upper 70's!
Those "typical" cool evenings and warm days, were replaced by warm evenings and hot days!
This was the perfect recipe for creating a "perfect storm" if you will, and setting the pace for what is currently a fast push to harvest what our Winemaker and I believe is some of the best fruit we have seen in recent years. Flavors are wonderful, the chemistry is great, and yields are coming in at or above average.
At this point, our 2012 "Estate" Chardonnay has been picked, pressed and now currently fermenting away in barrel as seen in the photos above. We have then moved to bringing in some exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon from one of our growers here on Spring Mountain, as well from our Estate on Spring Mountain as well!
While only 1 week into the 2012 harvest, we look to be finishing the week having picked nearly 80-90% of our fruit for the season, leaving just a few days next week to complete yet another epic adventure in the Napa Valley!
Wishing all fellow vintners the best of luck this harvest season. I simply cannot wait to see how great the wines are from this vintage!
Cheers!
Wesley Steffens
Vineyard 7&8
http://www.vineyard7and8.com/
Posts
