harvest reports
Reds Hang - Pick Whites
To My Friends:
From September 3rd through September 8th it did not look good. Hot weather was pushing both Chardonnay and Merlot to ripeness at the same time. We were beginning to be faced with an either/or situation. Graciously, on September 10th, nature stepped in with cool, but sunny weather, which continued for the entire week. We could not have asked for a better situation. Chardonnay is rolling in with perfect ripeness and flavors at about 100-150 tons a day. While Merlot hung on the vine and picked up more flavors, its acid and pH came into balance with high sugars.
It is Monday morning, September 17, and we are set to pick hundreds of tons of Merlot this week. The weather is warming up through Wednesday and the harvest should reach its high point between September 19 and 28. Quality at this time is looking very good. It is very early and I am being conservative, but the scorecard looks like this:
- Sauvignon Blanc: excellent
- Chardonnay: very good
- Merlot: very good - great color
- Zinfandel: very good
- Pinot Noir: good
Benziger Family Vineyards
Sonoma Mountain, September 17, 2001