have maybe 30 new vines 25(?)mourvedre. they are just sticks but they seem to have established. pruned very hard in march. cut some of the syrah down to one arm. cut it away from the fence. full harvest this year from 4 year old grenache on northside. some fruit from the southside. will take maybe 30 clusters from new slope. am going to try to reduce blush fruit from grenache. pulling in some gophers from lost of set traps. the new ones Michael bought. they are narrower in the beam which has turned to be good. they are maneuverable.

2011 finished

we harvested all the mourvedre on sunday october 2nd. lovely fruit with very little bird or insect damage. our wasp campaign was a successful and the new nets (thank you MSC) are fantastic. i am very pleased with 2011 as an agricultural year and i have high hopes that the wine will be special.

2011 Grenache pressed Oct. 3

Pressed Grenache today.  Tired.  Slightly tipsy.  The delay in pressing due to equipment problems caused no trouble.  Cap still up.  Fermentations still going along slowly.  All is well.

harvest 2011

we harvested the west syrah rows on 9-28 and we will harvest all the mourvedre tomorrow the 2nd. viejas mountain will be done.

9-29-11

mourvedre east 24 70%

mourvedre west 23.5 60%

little change with brix but east rows starting to soften and wasps are attacking. west rows still firm even crunchy. no bugs. sunday am all of it.

9-27-01

syrah west 23 90%

mourvedre east 24 80%

mourvedre west 23 70%

tiny amount of shriveling in mourvedre. more in syrah. very dry conditions from mild high pressure system. always intensified on sw slope of this mountain

brix 9-22-11

syrah west 22 90%

mourvedre east 23 80%

mourvedre west 23 70%

picked eastern syrah and all counoise

on sunday the 18th. looked very nice. they are co-fermenting. unheard of.

Syrah-Counoise co-fermentation is now co-fermenting

The Syrah and Counoise that we picked Saturday now show signs of active fermentation.  Look and smell good.  Already quite dark.

Grenache fermentation is slowing down.  May have to press Saturday.

9/15/11

syrah east 23 80%

syrah west 21.5 70%

mourvedre east 22 50%

mourvedre west 21.5 60%

counoise 23 80%

brix september 11 2011

syrah east 21.5 75%

syrah west 20.5 75%

mourvedre east 22 65%

mourvedre west 21.5 60%

counoise 21 70%

tablas creek grenache vertical

http://tablascreek.typepad.com/

a year ago today

these were the syrah and mourvedre readings from a year ago

lower mourvedre 19 50%

upper mourvedre 19 50%

lower syrah 20 90%

upper syrah 20 90%

brix 9/9/2011

syrah east 20.5 60%

syrah west 21 60%

mourvedre east 21 40%

mourvedre west 21.5 40%

counoise 21.5 70%

surprised to see the highest readings from counoise and mourvedre.

testing every day now

Grenache blast off! Tuesday September 6, 2011

Good smelling, good looking, evident fermentation has begun in the garage Grenache.  This time we partially crushed by hand and will punch down twice per day instead of once, except when I'm lazy.  Call it 1.5 times per day.

monday 9-4

ramona vineyard ten days away says grower. we have overcast skies 84 degrees and 48% humidity. feels much hotter. rain last night. also watered saturday night. i think syrah harvest possible perhaps sunday/monday

syrah brix september 1/2-2011

big sample lower rows 19/30%
small sample top row (west) 20/30%

grenache harvested 9/1/2011

fruit was lovely. northside block harvested for first time.

2011 aldeaquemada vineyard grenache harvest 9/1/2011

fruit looks very nice. harvest tomorrow early

brix data 31/8/2011

grenache 23 degrees 80% brown pips

lower mourvedre 20 degrees 30% brown pips

upper mourvedre 19 degrees 30% brown pips