2014 SEASON

This winter was the driest we've ever experienced, sparking serious drought related water debates. And it was cold, dipping into the twenties most nights. Pruning began in December with our own crew of three people using electric pruners and tying machines. We want last year's canes out of the way before this year's buds start showing. We finished well before our March deadline, even with a rain break for most of February, which was the wettest we can remember (talk about crazy weather!). The first leaves unfurled on March 14th in Three Oak Block.

Wind machines, which had been placed in the vineyard last fall, were returned unused to the yard in late April. In the middle of April a large crew of skillful women worked through to sucker trunks and remove extra canes from the crowns of the vines. Bloom finished mid May, and we saw about 50% berry set forming nice loose bunches.

Weather is a bit warmer overall this season compared to last, although June and July were normal. And it's been dry, but we still see water in the creek in August. Anticipating a couple heat spikes, we left some mid-canes to flop for more shade on the sunny side of the vines. We're also watching canes closely so they don't stop growing, which is a hair trigger function in this vineyard. We want just the right number of leaves to ripen each cluster by our harvest date, and we want to keep all ages of leaves on each cane. Just counting days from bloom, and from veraison, and looking at the vines and fruit as of the middle of August, harvest should be earlier this year.

We started picking September 8th. It was a perfect harvest day, foggy and cellar temp; it didn't get above 59 degees all morning. This was one of those years when the whole vineyard ripened at once, not a surprise as bloom happened in just a few days, so the rest of the season followed suit. We harvested 57 days past veraison with brown seeds and canes and leaves starting to turn fall colors. We picked the first two days for our Nunes Vineyard designates and the rest by the end of the week.

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Harvest Photos

The First Bud — Three Oak Block

Fog — Cooling Dorothy's Block

Harvest Time — Fred in Home Block