|
2007 SEASON
— Sixth Harvest In 2007,
the eighth leaf of the vineyard, four short fruiting canes were pruned to utilize the up-down spread of the trellis system.
The vines are balanced, fruit/canopy, to encourage complex structured
flavors for wine.
After pruning and tying with
Pellenc machines,
the last pull-down wire was added to the trellis in all blocks.
Buds first appeared March 14.
Canes and leaves thrived in the mild spring weather which prompted a nice
short period of flowering. Bloom was 70% as of May 15. Fruit set in
small loose bunches.
Nunes' crew and adjunct workers
traversed the vineyard, suckering, shoot thinning and positioning canes.
Middle June, mild warm weather prevailing, lower shoots were turned down
spreading the canes onto the tall trellis and exposing the fruit to the right amount of dappled
sunlight.
Careful watering kept shallow
riparian roots supple in the shallow soil and readied vines for véraison
when berries change from green to purple. Shoot tips stopped growing early
July as the
grapes turned.
Rain! All night and into the
morning of July 11 provided an extra drink for the vines. Cane positioning continued
through the month and any extra bunches were dropped from small vines to balance
them.
Bunches continued through their
second growth period where compounds formed during the preceding green
growth period are changed to color flavor and aroma.
Under the sandy clay loam that
supports the vineyard's root system is a layer of clay that stays wet
through August. Not this year. Pruitt Creek dried two months early. Timing
of irrigation was crucial. Weather remained consistently cool and sunny
with the warmest day, July 23, registering six degrees cooler
than the Santa Rosa airport.
Night harvest went well, and as
predicted, from September 4 through 10, the time having been calculated from
véraison to develop the ingredients for some stellar wine.
Harvest
Photos
<<
Last Season Next Season >>
|
