And, when we do pick, it is in small lots. The overall quality from the vineyard was excellent. With over an inch of rain on September 1, certain varieties at near full ripeness began to split. But immediate picking rescued the Chardonnay. Overall tonnage is down for us by 10 to 50 percent, depending on the variety.
Quality is high for most everything with higher than normal acidity from the earlier harvests.
Maybe, but let's wait until we sell last year's great vintage before we make such a premature statement. Flavors for Pinot Noir cuvees seem to be developing well, tending towards red fruit flavors of raspberry and sour cherry. Chardonnay is also plentiful and flavorful. Due to high natural acidities this year, we harvested our Chardonnay at slightly higher than normal sugar levels to ensure proper flavor maturity. This has seemed to work well.