Harvest is Here! Eno Pinot has Arrived

The harvest is here! I'm delighted that yesterday, my 2003 Pinot Noir came in. I live for this time of the year. Like a kid on Christmas Day, the anticipation is overwhelming. I love driving to the vineyard knowing that grapes are on their way. The vineyard has given birth to them and now I transform them into wine.

Here's the play-by-play:

6 pm After work, I picked up a 14 ft flat bed truck from Monarch Truck Center in San Jose.
7-11 pm Went to winery. Cleaned additional Macro bins for the grapes.
1:30 am Arrived at vineyard. Slept under stars next to a row of eucalyptus trees. Hardly slept because of the cool wind from the north, an under-inflated mattress, and the excitement of my first grapes.

6:30 am	Cleaned and disinfected Macro bins.
7-9 am	Picked 3 rows of 667, then 3 rows of Pommard 4. Very clean pick (no leaves).
9-10 am	Went to Lone Oak Vineyard scales.
3-6 pm	Crushed into macro bins and transferred to T-Bins.
8 pm	Took final numbers

Samples taken: Thursday at 8 pm, 09/04/03



Observations:

• Berries are very large and in good condition.
• Pommard 4 had more raisins. Flavors have improved greatly, perhaps better than 667, since heat wave. Incredibly complex flavor. Slight green spores of mold on Pommard, due to the brief rain.
• Excellent flavor. Very happy with the fruit esp. for a young vineyard. This vineyard may have great potential.
• Benefitted from decision to ride out heat wave by watering every other day and let the flavors develop with extended hang time.
• Stems and seeds slightly tannic.

I'm very excited about this fruit. I look forward to providing more information as it transforms into wine.

Posted by Sasha on September 18, 2003 11:22 PM

Comments

Had a blast visiting my brother during harvest time & getting hands-on experience with the art & science of the wine-making process. Kiara, my husband Andy and I met up with Sasha at the winery to lend a hand to the gods of Dionysus. From unloading 1.5 tons of freshly picked grapes, to cleaning out the bins, to pitchforking and dumping the grapes into the de-stemmer/crusher, to tasting a few grapes on their way & marveling at the sweet flavor--it was a beautiful experience. Can't wait to taste the year's batch that we had a 'hand' in!

Posted by: Natasha Coulouris on September 28, 2003 02:59 PM

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Clone	Brix (Sugar Level)	pH	Titratable Acid	Temp.
Pommard 4	25.5 hydrometer/ 24.7 refract	3.54 ph	TBD	62°
667	26.3 hydrometer/ 25.5	3.47 pH	TBD	64°