Napa Valley Harvest 2012 Finale

As it was with the San Francisco Giants, so it is with Harvest Napa Valley 2012: a winning season. Perfect ripeness and lots and lots of fruit are now in the cellars, about to undergo the alchemy of fermentation and the winemaker's art.

The last in our harvest video series answers monumental questions such as: "What is the first thing you do at the end of harvest?" (open a very cold beer, crash and sleep for 24 hours, throw a pig roast) and "If harvest were a holiday..." along with the crazy laughter that comes at the end of a very good year.

Thanks for taking the Harvest Napa Valley 2012 ride with us! Visit http://harvestnapavalley.com for more on Harvest Napa Valley 2012

The Natural Landscape of Harvest

Sunrise on Harvest Morning at Marston Family Vineyard

With all the pomp and circumstance of harvest related activities complete, and the majority of our neighboring vineyards finished, I’m thrilled to report that we have officially begun harvest at our estate on Spring Mountain. On a pristine Friday morning on October 19^th, the first blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon were picked at Marston Family Vineyard. 

Harvest Bins

In what has quickly become routine, or perhaps quirky superstition, I enjoy walking amongst the fruit at dusk the evening prior to harvest and reveling in the efforts of the past growing season. In this day in age it’s particularly rewarding to witness the fruits of our labor, and feel a strong sense of pride in the quality of our grapes. Make no mistake, as important, or critical, as we may think we are to the vines, our abilities are secondary to the mercy of Mother Nature and her natural landscape, and to that end we are extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to grow grapes in the beautiful Napa Valley.

Barrel Fermentation

Perhaps it’s become a common misnomer, but “harvest” by no means signals the end; rather, it marks the transition from grape grower to winemaker. Whereas our viticulturist has traded his weather reports from Saint Helena for Lake Tahoe, our winemaker has replaced his golf clubs with a clipboard and calculator. Led by the remarkable Marbue Marke, our cellar team is buckled down and full steam ahead. Our first fruit came from four different hillside terraces on the property, and each block will be fermented separately in oak barrel to complement its character. Each year we employ the use of both oak and stainless steel tanks for fermentation depending on the vineyard location, fruit quality and growing season. Fortunately, 2012 has been a relatively predictable year, and has allowed us to follow our winemaking program with only minor variation.

Cabernet Sauvignon

With roughly 50% of our grapes harvested and undergoing natural fermentation, the balance of our fruit is still hanging in the vineyard. The microclimates and location of the remaining vines combine to make them later ripening sites, and we made the decision to allow the mountain skins to continue to ripen ever so slightly to complete the ideal flavor profile. We did experience light rains that dropped roughly 1.22 inches over a 4 day period, and as expected the fruit held up remarkably well. In fact, walking the rows suggests that the rain actually cleaned up the clusters of any dust and made them shine with their beautiful purple hue. The forecast for the next few days is promising, and we anticipate finishing harvest just in time to don our Halloween costumes and trick or treat our way through the vines that provided us with yet another exceptional vintage.

Cheers,

James

Marston Family Vineyard

Spring Mountain Vineyard’s Harvest Mantras

Before each harvest, I order t-shirts for my crew. For this harvest - my 10^th at Spring Mountain Vineyard (SMV) - the shirts read:

“VAMOS AVER” (We will see) and “SI SE PUEDE” (Yes, we can!)

In the world of winemaking, and as it applies to my great crew, both are appropriate.  We are always waiting, watching and evaluating a vintage, a vineyard block or a newly fermented wine.

To date, we have harvested all varieties except for some Cabernet Sauvignon, a late-ripening, sturdy variety that we often harvest after valley floor Cabernet is picked. I am not worried about the recent rain because our vineyards are located on steep slopes where the air can circulate freely to dry out clusters. 

As for the new wines in the cellar, they are gorgeous.

I couldn’t be happier with the 2012 vintage and harvest. Like other recent great Napa Valley vintages - 1997, 2005 and 2007 – this vintage is bountiful as well as beautiful.

Come see us on Spring Mountain.  There is still plenty of harvest activity here!

Cheers,

Jac Cole, Winemaker

Spring Mountain Vineyard

It's a Grind

Harvesting the Cornerstone Cellars Oakville Station Merlot during harvest 2012.

It's a grind. Another half ton bin of grapes is loaded onto the dumper on the sorting line. Another truck arrives and another twenty bins are added to the twenty or so already there. At our top speed it takes an hour to process four tons or eight bins. We rarely hit top speed. Best guess is another five hours to get through these bins. That's on top of the five hours already in.

Its like that every day. It's a grind. It's harvest. The term "romantic" does not enter your mind: at least until it's all over. The only times when the romance of it all fills your spirit are the first day, the last day and the rest of the year. The first day it’s all about the potential, the last day you are a bit awestruck by what you have accomplished. In between it's a blur as you grind through each day. It is very simply the next bin, the next fermenter and the next day.

In the picturesque harvest in the wine magazines it's all about bountiful lunches with happy workers eating hardy meals and quaffing wine from carafes. In a real world working winery its cold cuts, colds, cold wet clothes and hot, sweaty rubber boots. Most of all you are sticky. Head to toe splashed with super-sweet grape juice, which makes you a yellow jacket's dream lunch.

Then there is all that gleaming stainless steel equipment that looks so efficient and high tech. The reality is more like a Rube Goldberg invention as the whole process is a patchwork of things that don't play well with others. Something always seems to break at just the wrong moment, which makes winemakers the champions of jerry-rigging as equipment is forced to behave with beatings and duct tape. For a winemaker knowing how to convince everything to work in the winery is just as important as knowing when to pick. Let's just say that OSHA would not approve of many of these solutions.

The day comes to an end with the best beer (or two) you ever tasted in your life quickly followed by an all to short, but very sound sleep. Then you wake up and do it again, and again, and again until one day the last bin arrives.

Then, as the last bunch of grapes from the last bin drops into the last fermenter the romance hits you again. Instantly harvest is once again the best and most exciting thing that happens to you every year. It is the concentrated essence of everything you believe in and the fuel that fires your flame for the next vintage. It reminds you how lucky you are to be working as hard as you can to accomplish something you love.

We finished the last bin at about 5 p.m. last night. Winemaker Jeff Keene and I shook very sticky and very tired hands. Harvest 2012 was done at Cornerstone Cellars. 

What a grind. I can't wait until next year.

Craig Camp

Scruffy, funky or...hunky? VOTE for your favorite harvest beard!

Submit your vote by October 31st! The winner will receive bragging rights and a $250 gift certificate to a Napa Valley restaurant on our Wine List Recognition Program.

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Hurry Up and Wait

I can’t believe it’s October. Literally, it feels like yesterday we ran into our friends at Barnett Vineyards enjoying a casual Labor Day brunch on the patio at Solage, and today the SF Giants are gearing up to face the Reds in the MLB Playoffs. In retrospect, the only explanation can be that September was better than advertised.

Marbue, Michael and James with Albion 2012

What has quickly become the theme to Napa Valley 2012, the weather continues to be perfect. Exceptional even. I continue to knock on wood, thinking that in some way that will be the underlying secret to continuing these beautiful conditions. Under a moonlight sky on Tuesday, September 11^th we harvested the grapes for our 2012 Albion. Yields were back up from 2011 and the quality was ideal. Fast forward three weeks and fermentation is complete. Some lots are aging in stainless barrels, others in oak, and the subtle nuances from each will have a dramatic impact on the finished wine. Over the next few months we’ll track the maturity of what we anticipate to be a great vintage.

With the whites perfectly situated in the cellar, we’ve transitioned to focus on our estate Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the southern slopes of the Spring Mountain District. Reports throughout the valley suggest harvest for the red varietals is fully underway. Shafer has reported crushing some of the first lots of its Hillside Select fruit, our neighbor Vineyard7 & 8  has been active with Cabernet Sauvignon, and yet we anticipate being roughly a week away from our first blocks to be picked. Following the heat of Monday through Wednesday of this week (99, 104 and 101 degrees, respectively), we have a modest cooling trend upon us that will bring temps down into the mid-80s and the fruit back into balance. Samples taken yesterday and today show amazing promise, and we’re letting the fruit hang to allow the grape skins and tannins to develop ever so slightly. It’s a magical time to hurry up and wait!

Cheers,

James

Marston Family Vineyard

Next Week: The Patience is Rewarded

Vineyard 7&8: Harvest 2012's Exceptional Quality!

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/

Joseph Phelps Wines begins it's 40th harvest!

 Winemaking Team: Damian, Ashley, Kelly and David.

The Social Elements of Harvest

Before skipping to the fun "social" events surrounding Harvest 2012, I’d be remiss if I didn’t touch on the activity happening here in the vineyard first.

MFV Winemaking Team

This year will be our fourth harvest of Sauvignon Blanc for our proprietary white wine, Albion. As with most varietals this year, our rows of Sauvignon Blanc had a great set and are maturing beautifully. The heat from the past few weeks accelerated ripening slightly, and we’ll continue to monitor the grapes more closely as we approach harvest. Whereas 2010 and 2011 were more concerned with ripening and fruit profile due to the cooler temperatures, this year we will focus on acid development to maintain an elegant balance for Albion. A few neighbors have begun harvesting Sauvignon Blanc, but we’re likely 10 days away from bringing in the first lots for crush. On the flipside, our Cabernet Sauvignon continues to soak up the sun and enjoy this beautiful weather. We walked the vineyard on Wednesday and were pleased with the progress. There are a few minor adjustments we’ll make in select blocks to maximize uniformity, but at the moment we’re content and optimistic! (A rarity).

2012 NVV Harvest Party

On to the harvest celebrations. This week was especially exciting as the Napa Valley Vintners hosted their annual harvest party at Bale Grist Mill in Saint Helena. Personally, I’d never been to the mill, only passing it en route to visit the McCrea’s at Stony Hill, and was looking forward to something new. Roughly 300 of our fellow vintners gathered to celebrate the growing season, and imbibe in the fruits of our collective labor. Long banquet tables were arranged under the backdrop of the mill, and Silverado Brewing Company prepared a fantastic meal. I always enjoy these events because of the people, and this year was no exception.

America's Cup Trophy

The perfect complement to our harvest party was a brief trip to San Francisco to celebrate the 161^st Anniversary of America’s Cup. The Napa Valley is the official wine region of the 34th America’s Cup, and fellow vintners put on quite a party at Club 45 to welcome the AC World Series to the San Francisco Bay. Team members mingled with vintners and exchanged sailing adventures for winemaking tips. Although this doesn't necessarily qualify as an official harvest party per se, the setting was superb and the wines of the Napa Valley helped set the stage for a great week of racing, complete with a slice of anniversary cake!

Cheers,

James

Marston Family Vineyard

Next Week: Harvest STOMP! and Preparations for White Wines

Dog Days of Summer on Spring Mountain

It’s official, Harvest 2012 has begun in the Napa Valley! Reports of the first bins of Pinot Noir have been crushed at Mumm Napa Valley, and the season has commenced. Although this may seem early compared to the 2010 and 2011 growing seasons, winemakers throughout the valley remind us that we’re actually “back to normal”. In any given year, the first grapes to hit the sorting table in mid-August are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for sparkling wines. If there were an opposite end to the spectrum, we’re it – mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tucker Whitehorse Leahy

We are located along the southern slopes of the Spring Mountain District Appellation, high above the fog line and west of the town of Saint Helena. Whereas most of the valley has begun measuring brix (sugar levels), we’re only 90% through verasion and estimate a mid-October Harvest. Our vineyard manager, viticulturist and winemaker are surprisingly optimistic due to the favorable growing conditions to date; however there is one member of the team that remains unimpressed: Tucker Whitehorse Leahy . With responsibilities ranging from pheasant control to grape sampling, Tucker finds the cooler temps from 2010 and 2011 much more conducive to his management style. Always the team player, he’s putting on a good attitude in this warmer year, but vows to monitor all vineyard work from the shade.

James and Elizabeth

With harvest still a distant thought, the best solution is to distract ourselves with the start to the NFL Preseason. Like the majority of us in the Napa Valley, the San Francisco 49ers are a family run organization, and it just so happens the York family has an unbridled passion for the Napa Valley. They have been terrific ambassadors promoting the region and its wines for many years, and many of us bleed red and gold in support of the team and the 49ers Foundation. Seeing as the grapes are in no rush to ripen, we felt very comfortable leaving the ranch for the big city for an exciting afternoon of Football and Wine.  Even though our winemaker is a staunch Oakland Raiders fan, he was admittedly jealous we had the opportunity to catch the first 49ers Pre-Season game. If the mere fact that Harvest and the 49ers began with such excitement on Friday, August 10^th, we should all look forward to a terrific year in 2012!

Cheers,

James

Marston Family Vineyard

Next Week: Napa Valley Vintners Harvest Party and Winemaker Preparations

Napa Valley Harvest 2012 Begins with High Hopes from Carneros to Calistoga

Harvest has officially begun in America's premier wine region and vintners throughout the renowned Napa Valley are delighted with the growing season to date, nearly all calling it a classic. Capturing the process from vineyard to glass, the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) trade association of 430 wineries will chronicle the process in a series of entertaining as well as news-driven videos. The Right Place and Time--Napa Valley Harvest 2012 Vintners believe the Napa Valley appellation to be the right place to grow and craft the highest quality wines and these grapes are picked only when at their peak of perfection. Throughout the harvest season, the NVV's go-to resource is its harvest-dedicated website, www.HarvestNapaValley.com . New videos will be appearing about every two weeks over the coming months, following the process in nearly real time. In addition the harvest website offers: • The NVV's vintner-authored blog "Unfiltered" with direct-from-the-field updates and photos posted by winemakers, vineyard managers, cellar workers and interns throughout the season • Live Twitter feed from #NVHarvest on the homepage • Harvest Live UStream series broadcast the week of September 24 from locations throughout the valley showcased on the homepage • A calendar of the scores of events to celebrate harvest in Napa Valley and beyond • And in the coming weeks, ongoing contests and quizzes from innovative social media platforms The harvest website is part of a multi-faceted effort celebrating harvest that includes 15 promotional programs and more than 30 NVV events. Notes from the Field: Season to Date from Winemakers and Vineyard Managers Anticipation, Excitement and Mindful that it's Early This is the 150th anniversary at Schramsberg. We look forward to writing another page in Napa winemaking history. Mother Nature has been kind to us in 2012 as we have one of the most balanced crops in years. The anticipation and excitement for the start of harvest is overwhelming and we are eager to get the party started. Vintage 2012 is going to be Epic! Keith Hock, winemaker, Schramsberg Vineyards This growing season takes me back to the classic Napa Valley vintages I knew as a teenager, when I worked summers at Louis Martini. The mornings start off with some fog and overcast, by midday it's burned off and the sky is vivid blue. By afternoon we've got heat in the 90s and by five or six o’clock it starts cooling down and if you eat dinner outside you need a jacket. Elias Fernandez, winemaker, Shafer Vineyards It's mid-August and we are still enjoying a beautiful summer (cue sound of me knocking on wood). Over the past thirty days, the daytime temperature in our vineyard got over 80F on all but three days and only exceeded 100F once. These warm sunny afternoons are perfect for the ripening period. On most nights, the temperature has dropped into the high 40s--which allows the vines to recharge and keeps the grapes fresh. We are well through veraison in Chardonnay and expect to begin harvest just after Labor Day. Veraison has moved very quickly in Cabernet Sauvignon, even faster than Merlot. This may be because Cabernet naturally set a balanced crop this year. Merlot, on other hand, seems to have been a bit over-ambitious requiring us to drop a considerable amount of fruit during multiple thinning passes. Jon Ruel, Director of Viticulture & Winemaking, Trefethen Family Vineyards So far--knock on wood--we haven't been thrown for any curves. We didn't have frost in spring, we didn't have cold weather during bloom or set, we haven't experienced extreme heat that would sunburn the fruit, and there's been no rain. And after 28 years of making Stags Leap District wines I can tell you, grapes do not like surprises--they like long stretches of consistent weather and as the season progresses, we look forward to that see-saw of daytime heat and nighttime cooling which will create a beautiful balance of sugars and acidity. Right now we're about 95 to 100 percent finished with veraison. We're doing a little irrigation where needed--doling out just enough water to keep the grapes healthy and on track for maturation. Our main vineyard work now is green harvesting, culling fruit that's not hitting a high mark with regard to color and ripeness. In Olympic terms, we only want to harvest gold-medal fruit, so we're pretty severe about how much fruit we're dropping to the ground. Next week we'll start sampling fruit and zeroing in on which blocks we'll likely be picking first. At this point I expect to start picking here in Stags Leap District by the second week in September which is about two weeks earlier than in 2011 or 2010. Elias Fernandez, winemaker, Shafer Vineyards Apart from a handful of temperature spikes this has been a marvelous growing season with very cool nights and sunny days comfortably in the high 80s and low 90s. There's been very low mildew pressure all season which is heavenly compared to last year. I found the first bloom in our Cabernet Sauvignon on May 22nd, veraison began two months later. We're very close to full veraison this week. Right now we're still positioning shoots and pruning off extra fruit to bring the vines into harmony. In the cellar the sort, crush, and ferment equipment is getting a dusting off and annual tune-up. We're doing our final racking before harvest sets in. Julie Johnson, owner/winemaker Tres Sabores At Schweiger Vineyards, at the top of the Spring Mountain District, we are just starting verasion. The recent heat wave has really moved things along, and it is nice to have a classic growing season. Despite record heat across most of the country, this has been a beautiful growing season in Napa Valley. Our Cabernet Sauvignon set is a little light, probably 90 percent of normal, while our Malbec and Merlot are fantastic! Cabernet Franc was heavy and required a bit of fruit drop/management pre-verasion. Chardonnay crop is normal and very promising. Right now, I'm estimating a late September/early October start for harvest. Andy Schweiger, winemaker, Schweiger Vineyards Here at Oakville Ranch, the warm days along with the quick bloom this spring set the stage for even crop load through all the varieties. As I talk to vineyard managers and winemakers throughout the valley everyone is smiling and giggling, truly everything looks fabulous as we move into the final weeks. Phil Coturri, vineyard manager, Oakville Ranch Vineyards The grape crop here in Calistoga is looking great! It is really nice to have a more "normal" vintage after the late harvests of the past few years. This summer's pattern of a hot week followed by a cooler week seems to have been just the ticket--all the vineyards I've looked at seem to be well acclimated to the heat and have healthy canopies. Crop levels are up from average and at this point everything is close to fully colored-up. If this is any indication, I have already started eating the Thompsons seedless from my backyard…. Shouldn't be too long now, but I have to get through this bottling first. Cameron Perry, winemaker, Chateau Montelena The Napa Valley Vintners is the non-profit trade association responsible for promoting and protecting the Napa Valley appellation as the premier winegrowing region. From seven founding members in 1944, today the association represents more than 430 Napa Valley wineries and collectively is a leader in the world-wide wine industry. To learn more about our region and its legendary American wines, visit www.napavintners.com . Watch the Video

What is that apparatus in your vineyard?

All was quiet on the eastern front when I arrived at the winery early this morning.  It was around 6am (my circadian rhythm was disrupted by last night's full full moon), and the tranquil foggy vineyard was calling me.  There's something so comforting about the white blanket that covers up everything around us, even our magnificent view.  I started snapping pictures.  I didn't venture too far from our tasting room because I wasn't wearing proper shoes; heels actually (Yes, I'm in denial that I work at a vineyard...)  After snapping a photo of our amazing "view," I noticed a curious briefcase at the head of one of the rows of Cabernet Sauvignon.  


"Ah," I remembered, "It probably has to do with the water-monitor thingumabobs that Alan ordered."


Back in February under the direction of my mother Delia and my brother Alan Viader, we commissioned Fruition Sciences (www.fruitionsciences.com) - a cutting edge viticultural support company that uses innovative technology to study the vital signs of our vines.  We are learning what makes VIADER vineyards such a unique growing environment for premium quality wine grapes, and the results are fascinating. 



In the picture you can see the monitoring apparatus is powered by the sun, and reviews two vines at once.  Those vines are shown here completely wrapped in a foil-like material.  Sensors are placed throughout inside, and a computer captures data of how much water is getting to the vine and where it is achieving the best saturation.  We conduct this survey while our irrigation system is running to get the most accurate data.  For us science geeks, it's exciting!


It has been a great learning experience for Alan, and we realized just how efficient vines truly are as an agricultural product (compared to other products like artichokes, etc.), given their extensive root structure and water retention abilities.  I'm sure my brother can explain it in a lot more detail, but he's not here today!  It was his day to survey our friends' different vineyard properties where we have future grape-sourcing contracts.  


And more importantly, it's his younger son's first birthday!  Off to celebrate!   Cheers!


Note: Fruition Sciences has its headquarters in Montpellier, France, and an office in Oakland, California.  


Happy Thursday,


Janet Viader of VIADER Napa Valley

'Exercise Your Taste Buds,' from Peju Province Winery

PEJU Winemaker Sara Fowler tasted through sixty different barrel lots of the 2009 and 2010 red wines in our cellar yesterday. She called it "checking in with the wine." What was she checking for?

"I'm checking to see how the wine is maturing, how it's progressing, and to see if any of the individual barrels need attention."

Sixty glasses of wine lined the Production office. Incredulous, I asked her how she could possibly maintain the ability to taste the subtleties in numbers fifty through sixty (or even after #20). She chuckled and said,

"Sixty is nothing! I used to have to taste hundreds of wines in a day at one of the other wineries where I've worked. I'll just take a break after the first thirty, do something else for a couple of hours, and then come back to the last thirty."

At Peju, we age our Napa Valley tier reds for 16-18 months, and our Reserve wines for 26 months, so at this time, Sara is tasting through the 2009 Reserves and 2010 Napa Valley tier reds.

"The 2009 Reserves are dee-licious!" She says with glee. Our Reserves are Cabernet Franc- and Cabernet Sauvignon-predominant Bordeaux blends made exclusively from fruit grown certified organically on our Rutherford Estate. "Though each barrel will impart slightly different flavor characteristics-- and we purchase barrels from several different cooperages for this reason-- all the 2009 reserve wines themselves are full of rich, ripe, dark fruit flavors. 2009 was the last great year before the trickier two to follow, but I've been pleasantly surprised at the way the 2010's are tasting today, as well."

"I have the best job in the world," Sara said, as I turned to leave. "It just doesn't get much better than making wine in the Napa Valley. I can't wait to play with these delicious [barrel] lots and start blending later this month!"

by Britt Starr for Peju Province Winery

view the full Blog here: Peju Crush Chronicles

Night Harvesting at Shafer Vineyards

2011 Harvest Complete at Vineyard 7 & 8!

Greetings from the top of Spring Mountain!

As we close yet another harvest from Vineyard 7 & 8, I look back on what was a true test of patience. A season filled with extra efforts in the vineyards working on crop and canpy management, a couple early October rain storms, but finished up with a period of beautiful weather.

Over the last couple of weeks the sun returned, and the dry northwest winds returned, allowing us the ability to harvest what looks to be another very successful vintage.

Cabernet from our Estate vineyards and the fruit we harvest from select neighboring vineyards on Spring Mountain came in with more moderate sugar levels, beautiful acids and wonderfully refined tannins.

Fermentation is just beginning to take shape in the tank room, and hats change from the management of the fruit in the vineyards to pumpovers and punchdowns, monitoring of tanks and prepping barrels for later in the month when the wines will go to rest.

Congrats to all fellow vintners for yet another wonderful harvest in the Napa Valley!

Cheers,

Wesley Steffens, Vineyard 7 & 8
Winery Manager & Assistant Winemaker
http://www.vineyard7and8.com/