2025 update: Sauvignon Blanc & Chardonnay Harvest
After a very long twenty days I have returned from the vineyards with some hopeful news. We have harvested our Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay: We picked 3.12 tons (a rather larger than average harvest for our small block) of Sauv Blanc on 9/22/25 at dawn, then pressed it to stainless steel and chilled it for three days, and racked it to our concrete egg for fermentation on 9/25/25. We picked our first block of Chardonnay two days later (approximately 2 tons) on 9/24/25, and collected the juice in steel only briefly, barreling down to French oak on 9/25/25. Our final block of Chardonnay we harvested this morning (5 tons) and have the juice chilling in Delta Tank overnight; where it will likely remain until Wednesday, at which point we will barrel it down to begin primary fermentation in French oak.
And luckily — and finally — the reds are heating up. Sugars in our Merlot (blocks 2 and 3) have reached 25 Brix, as has our Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot composite. Cabernet Sauvignon is lagging Merlot, as usual, but the flavors are turning that corner, the skins are starting to release significant color/pigmentation, and the seeds are evolving into a darker shade of brown. With the just a small touch of rain this week, followed by (hopefully!) some warm weather, we could be starting to harvest our red blocks one week from today. Fingers crossed.
Degree days update: 9/28/25 at 2219 moderate this week (2374 last year: delta 155).
And I’ll finish this update with some delightful and very welcome news! James Suckling’s eponymous website has reviewed and scored our newly released 2023 Napa Valley Estate Bottled Red Wine:
“Richly layered, well-structured, complex and complete, this full-bodied blend is generous yet rather tight and restrained, creating a feeling of great balance. Classically gorgeous black-currant and black-cherry flavors are beautifully accented by cinnamon, oak toast and cocoa. The almost creamy texture defies the ample tannins. Drink now or hold.” 96 points
