Wine Noob

Last of the fruit came in on Friday, just as the first fermentors are ready for pressing and racking

We’re doing 20% whole cluster across the board for our red wines this year which is new but our whole cluster experiment worked out so well in the 2014 vintage that we’re p excited about it (plus so many of our vineyards are so fruit-driven they turn into fruit-bombs in these hot years so hopefully that’ll dial it back a bit and make them taste like real pinots again)

It wasn’t as hot as last year and definitely not as dry, but still p hot.

Also more spread out than last year.  Last year EVERYTHING WAS RIPE ALL AT ONCE and we were definitely pulling some 25+ ton days but this year I don’t think we ever did more than 18

There will be earwigs.  Don’t get too upset about them and don’t spend all your time brushing them away because there will be more.

It’s useful to know the difference between bad clusters and funny-looking clusters, but if in doubt, throw it out.

Focusing on every little detail takes way too much time.  Relax and try and see the whole belt in front of you.

When pressed and fermented, ladybugs and stinkbugs make a flavor aspect that is not found in pinot noir naturally.  If people taste your pinot and it’s got that characteristic, they will know that your sorters weren’t doing their job.