The harvest started early this year – more exactly August 1st. The first week was very busy and we harvested more than 40.000 kg.
This is what we have harvested so far (August 30th) – more than 53.000 kg and the quality is super high!
Chardonnay 01-03/08 7336 kg
Viognier 04-05/08 6865 kg
Sauvignon Blanc 05-06/08 6560 kg (sorted out 500 kg)
Giró Roz 06/08 6932 kg
Garnacha (for rosé) 06/08 3310 kg
Pinot Noir 06-07/08 11.245 kg (minus raisins)
Manto Negro (for rosé) 12/08 556kg
Cabernet Sauvignon (for rosé) 12/08 731kg
Syrah 12/08 5120kg
Merlot (raisins) 17/08 875kg
Cabernet Sauvignon 24/08 3853kg
We have been paying a lot of attention this year to picking at the optimal time with ideal potential alc. and acidity levels so expect some killer wines from this vintage!
We are currently picking our last red grapes; Syrah, Grenache, Merlot and Callet and plan to be done over the next couple of days.
As we are still perfecting our craft, we have experimented with different yeast strains on different tanks of the same varieties, e.g. Sauvignon Blanc and with completely different results. Fascinating!
Some of the whites have been fermenting slowly and some are even not yet done completely.
We decided to pick the plot of Cabernet Sauvignon that was only grafted last year quite early and blend into our rosé with a tiny bit of Manto Negro as well.
Our Pinot was divided into 3 batches.
- The grapes for the first tank were processed on the 7th and tank filled with 4172l and set to cold macerate on the skins at 8C for 2 days with one pump over the first night and then 5min long pump-overs every 2 hours for the following 24 hours. On the 9th yeast and yeast nutrients were added and temperature increased and set to ferment for 9 days and then pressed on the 18th. . (When you let the grapes macerate on the skins at low temperature before the fermentation starts you extract a lot of flavors and color, but less tannin.)
- • The grapes for the second tank were processed on the 9th and the tank with 4875l set to ferment immediately by adding yeast and yeast nutrients. This was pressed on the 14th in our small press downstairs over 2 pressings.
- • The grapes for the 3rd tank that includes the raisins were processed on the 12th and the tank with 1286l set to ferment immediately by adding yeast and yeast nutrients. This was pressed on the 22th in our small press downstairs at 1.2 bars.
The 2 bigger tanks were fermented using different yeast strains. We chose this procedure with our Pinot this year to ensure a perfectly balanced and more complex final wine once the different tanks are blended together. They already show quite different with one being more full-bodied and rounder and the other more elegant and fruity.
We will soon give you an update on the full harvest.
