Dirk Hampson stops by with this Far Niente harvest update:
Harvest is in high gear. While Chardonnay is all picked, we are just getting into the heart of the Cabernet harvest. The weather is finally giving us the conditions to bring the fruit of this late and cool season to full ripeness.
The beginning of October brought rain storms, putting fear in the hearts of growers and winemakers alike. While the rain caused some damage to the thin-skinned Chardonnay, we were able to sort and discard the less desireable fruit and get on with pressing the best berries. I have tasted our juice, and it shows all the strengths that we would expect from such a cool and long growing season. The Chardonnay is now headed off to barrels for fermentation.
The first of the Cabernet has started to ferment and the color is deep and dense. With a weather forecast that projects unusually nice conditions for the next two weeks, we are both busy and optimistic. We know better than to rely too heavily on the meteorologists, so the winery is going to be busy every day “making wine while the sun shines.”
