Storm clouds moving through at Corral Creek in mid September

Harvest to-date:
Total: 50.7 tons
(22% of forecast)

Pinot noir: 26.4 tons
(23% of forecast)
Pinot gris: 17.8 tons
(35% of forecast)
Chardonnay: 6.5 tons
(14% of forecast)

BEGINNING TO RAMP-UP AS FINAL RIPENING OCCURS
WEATHER TODAY AND LEADING UP TO TODAY

We began harvest two weeks ago with very young Pinot noir and Chardonnay plantings from Stoller Vineyards, prior to the end of a showery period in which 1.4 inches fell (from 9/12-19). With almost a week of sunshine and highs in the upper 70s/low 80s, we are bringing in ripe fruit beginning with a little that is compromised slightly (minor desiccation, a little botrytis). Later vineyard sites and even higher elevation blocks in early vineyards are clean and should have perfect late season ripening over the next couple weeks--forecasts are clear for no rain at least over the next 10 days, with normal to slightly above normal temperatures.

	Michael Doing Preventive Maintenance on the Punchdown Tool in Preparation for Harvest

In general, we need an inch or more of rain after warm summers to adjust chemistries and permit nitrogen mobility in the vine. Over the last month and a half we have seen 3.5 inches at Stoller Vineyards and 2.2 inches at Ridgecrest. Although perfection may have been half that amount, the fruit in all but the youngest plantings, which have superficial root systems and fruit that ripens earliest and is therefore the most vulnerable to rain damage, is in perfect shape. Pinot noir croploads are slightly reduced due to heat effects from last year and a damp flowering phase in May-June, and with a very early and warm growing season have close to full, dark ripeness.

Before the two rain events during the August 22-28 and September 12-19 periods began moderating the season with cooler temperatures, 2004 saw temperatures the equivalent of 2003. The heat accumulations to-date are still remarkably close to last year (the graph below shows accumlation over the year for 2004, the prior three vintages, and historically). Degree-days are a simple way of showing how much usable heat (and therefore potential photosynthetic activity) occurs over time.

Through September 23 each year, the following chart shows >50FDegreeDays for various years at the McMinnville weather station:

Obviously, heat and the sunshine it represents is important to vintage quality. However, significant vintages shown here either succeeded despite a cool initial ripening season or failed despite great heat accumulations going into the final phase of ripening. The vintage can be made or lost in the next 2-3 weeks and depends largely on full ripening happening without damaging amounts of rain when they are in a vulnerable almost-ripe stage. We are optimistically viewing weather forecasts, but I personally refuse to call the vintage quality until all fruit is in the winery.

Stay tuned for detail on our great harvest crew, crop assessment, photos and the like.

Harry