harvest reports
X Factor
To My Friends:
The Buckeyes are blooming in Northern California the first week of June. In 2002 they bloomed around May 24, and in 2001 it was May 17. I use the Buckeye as an indicator plant to assist in judging where we are in the growing season. Purple vetch, an annual legume is blooming spectacularly this year and well into June, indicating above average ground moisture. The cherry plum tree will supply additional vintage information in July.
As we put all the information together, it looks like we are around 10 days behind 2002, 12-16 days behind 2001 and well ahead of 1998, the coolest, wettest year. So far, it has been a season of extremes. December was very wet with torrential rains; February and March were warm and dry; April was the coolest and wettest on record; May was very warm; and June is cool with below average temperatures predicted through June 15. On June 10th we lit a fire in the stove at our house!
The wet weather in April held back vine growth while building up sizable reserves of moisture and nutrients in the soil. When the hot weather in May arrived, the vines literally exploded in growththe most I have ever seen in a few-week period. It was the first time in 22 years we had to bring in contracted vineyard crews to help us keep up with the growth. One problem we are now facing due to this vigorous growth is the potential for shatter or misses in grape pollination causing an uneven crop. It is too early to know at this point. (Please refer to the photo on grape shatter.) At this point, June 10th, the vines in general look very healthy. All growers have been very sensitive to mildew so all the vineyards we know about are clean.
Bloom/pollination as of June 1 is finished in Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, much of Merlot and about 50% of the Cabernet and Syrah. Heres the breakdown as we see it by varietal for Sonoma County. It is too early to tell about quality, but so far, it looks good.
Carneros Chardonnay Finished bloom. Cluster count (potential harvest size) average to 5% below average. Not seeing a lot of big shoulders or elongated clusters. Secondary clusters are small.
Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc (Fume Blanc) Set was fast and even because of the heat in May; this is good. Crop size looks average.
Sonoma Merlot Set was about 60-70% finished in the first week of June when the cool weather hit. We dont know yet the effect of this cool, windy weather during bloom. Crop size appears average.
Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon About 50% complete in June before cool weather hit. Crop size appears to be above average. Clusters have large wings. New vineyards are carrying large crop loads which will most likely be adjusted in the field. (See photo of wing removal.)
Sonoma/Carneros/Russian River Pinot Noir Pretty much the same as Cabernet Sauvignon. Bloom 50-60%. Weather on the coast has been very cool lately. Crop size looks large. New vineyards above average crop load at this time.
Syrah No information yet.
Once the bloom is finished, especially for red grapes, and berries start to size, we want moderate to dry soil conditions in order to restrict the berries from getting too big. The good news is that for red grapes in mountains and on the benchlands the ground moisture is receding. We will practice deficit irrigation techniques (putting the vines into mild stress) in these areas to keep berries small with the idea of increasing the intensity in our wines.
Benziger Family Vineyards
Sonoma Mountain, August 29, 2002