Sunday, May 31, 2009

End of Bloom, and significance for 2012 vintage


Well, we aren't completely thru with bloom, but for all intents and purposes, it is over. This yr, for the first time, we did not prune our pre-bloom buds back to 2.5 T/ acre, choosing instead to wait until after bloom to do so. Result has been 30, 40, even 60 clusters on some vines. Considering we prune to 16-20 clusters/vine (based on cluster weights---if clusters are heavier, .31 lbs/cluster, we prune to 16 clusters. If lighter, eg, .25 lbs/cluster, then we prune to 20 clusters). So much for technical stuff: what does it all mean?


First off, we will do nothing until our clusters fill out. The stems(eurachus) are very large compared to other yrs, but at present we don't know if there will be a lot of grapes/ cluster or not. We are at fruit set right now, and will see how many grapes we put on a cluster. Last yr, our stem clusters were small, and the number of grapes/ cluster were few. Result? Paso Robles AVA had a heartbreaking 30-50% decrease in yields from previous yrs. Statewide, yields were slightly up, so we were an AVA that really got pounded.


If each cluster is covered up with grapes, then we will wait a few more weeks to be sure, and then will thin to 16-20 clusters/vine. In yrs past we have thinned early on to ensure maximum energy went into all clusters that remained. The massive temp spikes last yr wiped out half of our flower buds, hence the low yields. Looks totally different this yr, so I would say we are in for a big yr(cropwise) if no other natural disasters befall us. Funny thing is, we at Cerro Prieto Vineyard & Cellars always drop fruit to 2.5-3.0 Tons/ acre, so when someone says, "Good crop, no?" We just smile and say our crop is always the same...2.5-3.0 T/acre....except for the disastrous 1T/acre last yr. Looks like we will be in terrific shape this yr, but that is locally, only. State statistics are nice, but what happens locally is the only thing that matters.


This yr we have huge crops not just on Cab and Syrah, but also our Merlot and Pinot. Which reminds me, the 2006 Cerro Prieto Vineyard & Cellars Merlot just took another Gold medal at the Critics Challenge International Wine Competition. This is truly the first Merlot I have ever liked, and it looks like some other folks think the same. Better news is I like our Paso Bordo is even better than our Merlot.


As for 2012, we can expect a standard yield for the AVA, based on early data. As for quality, well, we still have to wait and see what the "sun-heat" numbers have to say. So far, this yr is seeming to be more like 2005, which was foggy and cold all summer long. Unlike this yr, it was extremely damp, too. It was a really tough yr for us to ripen grapes, and our neighbors had similar experiences. In any event, the fog keeps things cool, but June is frequently a cool month. Last several yrs we have had inordinately long , warm summers...great for ripening grapes. With low yields, if summer is cool, then our grapes will have a much easier time ripening than those of people hanging 5-6 T/ acre. If it is warm and sunny, then our grapes will have that long hang time, with ideal ripening conditions. Remember that here at nite, it is 55 degrees cooler than during the day. Ergo, if we get to 86 degrees today, it very likely will be in the mid 30s at 4 a.m. tomorrow morning.


Speaking of that, our cold valley vineyard is doing well, but is still behind other yrs, due to the low lows that have been a presence since early March. Sadly, we grafted over the one remaining acre of Cab Sauv we had down below, and now have an acre of Sauvignon Blanc for a white treat. Many areas of Paso struggle with whites, but our valley vineyard is tailor made for them, being 18-20 degrees cooler than our mountain vineyard. So, come 2011, we will have a white wine to offer, also.


Only other thing of note vineyard-wise, is that this is a record breaking yr for gophers. We are spending more and more time on them, and seem to barely be holding them off. Our Barn Owls are working overtime, the coyotes dine on gophers nitely, the Red-tailed hawks pick them off during the day, and we trap as many as possible. Checking under our 7 owl boxes, we note mounds of gopher carcasses, owl scat, and bone parts daily. Just a random observation: weather is noticeably colder than for past several yrs at this time, but it is way too early to make an prognostications re: upcoming growing season climate. One thing we know for sure...this was really a dry yr here, our 3rd consecutive yr. Will that make for a better vintage? We shall see.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Wall Street, Cerro Prieto Vineyard & Cellars, and Graft


Okay, so what do Wall Street and Cerro Prieto have to do with graft? Well, Wall Street graft is best defined by Bernie Maddoff, and those cut from the same cloth. Cerro Prieto and grafts...yes, in the plural...is happening as of this writing. We had one last acre of Cabernet Sauvignon that just couldn't ripen due to our cold valley climate, so after 9 yrs of dropping most, if not all of the fruit, we finally grafted over to cold weather Sauvignon Blanc. Actually, we have had 5 vines of Sauv Blanc growing amidst our Cab Sauv, and they have done famously, so the decision was not that difficult. All our mountain Cab is going gangbusters at present, now into its second or third day of bloom. That pretty well fits the bud break(March 21st) + 60 days for bloom. Due to the 200 ft elevation differences in our mountain and valley vineyards, bloom will mostly start now but some will string along for the next several weeks.


This yr we are not thinning the Cab nor Merlot until after fruit set, which should be about 3 weeks from now. It was exactly on this day last yr that the temps went to 115 degrees, right in the heart of bloom, and all unopened flowers literally "cooked off", or more accurately, just exploded off the shoots. This yr we had a hot Paso Robles Wine Fest, followed by cool days, ideal for fruit set. Nonetheless, this yr we waited to thin based upon whether that one day of massive heat comes thru and wipes out all unopened flowers. If we are okay, and don't get that incredible heat, then it just makes thinning more difficult, with all the very long shoots. Better this way than thinning early, however, as last yr's early thinning cut our yield by 50% due to excessive heat spikes.


So grafting here is unrelated to Wall Street graft, yet they somehow have the same root word. Strange, no? In any event, we are looking forward to a successful Sauv Blanc harvest in 2 yrs, and will no longer be dropping Cab Sauv that just requires more heat. The mountain vineyard Cab is doing famously , thank you, as is the Syrah. Both look like they are headed for a good yr, and Lord knows, we need it. Other than that, we continue to replace hard rubber riser hoses, eaten thru and thru by gophers. No question this is a banner yr for gophers, and we certainly have them. Trapping has been necessary on a daily basis, which just takes us away from other vineyard chores that need to be done. Here's to a great 2009... may our clusters not get fried, nor our new grafts frozen, may our grapes all set, and may our wines be superb. That would make it good for grower, vintner, and consumer, all. May the vagaries of farming pass us by this yr...last yr was punishment enough, tho the wines produced will be marvelous. Salud!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Hammer Down


That's right, hammer down, and get ready for the rocket ride, because that is what is going on down below me as I write. The mountain Rhone/ Bordeaux vineyard is cooking with growth. This is by far my favorite time of yr, when individual shoots put on 4" to 6-7" per week. I have actually measured some daily growth and was completely astounded at how fast this goes. At long last we have stopped bouncing off our valley vineyard lows in the low 30's and have bottomed in the mid 40's. Match that with days like the last 3 days of 95 degrees, and you have the "hammer down" rocket ride that occurs once the low lows disappear. Literally, it seems that a marked shoot can grow in the time it takes to walk to the end of the row and back.


The Cerro Prieto Vineyard cold valley has come alive, putting growth on the Pinot Noir, but nowhere near what our mountain vineyard has done. (The two vineyards are contiguous, however). One thing we sweat is the next 3 weeks in which we need to get thru bloom. If that happens with no gale force winds, no torrential rain and no severe frost, we are in good shape. After the growth explosion going on now, the worst part of the yr is waiting to get thru bloom. Funny how the two follow on the heels of one another, but after elation comes "the wait". Usually there are other things to keep one's mind occupied, eg, the Paso Robles Wine Festival, at which we pour our Cerro Prieto Vineyard & Cellars '06 wines(Gold medal Merlot, San Diego Intl Wine Competion/ and our signature wine, Paso Bordo, a Cab/Syrah blend).


That alone eats up a couple weeks in preparation, so it is a welcome diversion at just the right time. Then raise wires, thin, raise more wires, check petioles, and before long, green grapes are going thru verasion. Next thing you know harvest is upon us and the yr slips away. One of the hardest things to do if living at/on the vineyard is to enjoy what is here, and focus on the big picture, not just the day to day vineyard chores. It is so unbelievably beautiful here that sometimes I forget how fortunate we are to observe nature in her element, and live amongst the vines. That's a good thot to close on. Cheers!

Monday, May 4, 2009

April showers bring May flowers...


Well, not exactly...at least not this year, our 3rd year of drought which brought us a measly 12 inches of rain vs. our 26 inch average. We did have a fabulous wildflower display in early March, but most were gone by end of April. Our 1/2 inch rain in April did nothing for May flowers, but it is interesting to see the red "bull" clover flowering through the dying perennial grasses, most of which have already gone to seed.


Implication? Well, we have to factor in a brutally cold April (early a.m. only) which has delayed growth noticeably in the much cooler Pinot Noir valley vineyard blocs. Higher vineyard blocs of mountain Cab and Merlot are just a bit behind normal, and Syrah seems to be on its usual development path. The cold valley Pinot, however, is well...cold.


Our new Pinot vines have taken multiple hits below 30 degrees on consecutive days in April. In truth, there were only a few days that didn't freeze for a brief period in the valley floor. Good news is that all freezes were short, most between 4-6 a.m., and temps broke above freezing once touched by the sun. Yes, we did lose some Pinot grafts plus a few transplants. All mature Pinot appears to be healthy, but the cold did keep the vines from budding out until

2-3 weeks past its usual time. Mountain Cab, Syrah and Merlot budded out around March 21st, which means that bloom(usually 60 days after budding out)

is on track and is but a brief 17 days away.


Pinot is either going to bloom late this year, or who knows, maybe not at all. Such are the vagaries of farming, and grape farming is world's apart from most other types of farming. Weather, temperatures especially, are way more important in grape farming than for example, grain farming. The days here have been absolutely beautiful, but we just hate to see nightfall come. Good news is that freezes were short, most no more than 2 hours max, and our days warm up quickly. They say stress is good for making high quality wines...if we make Pinot this year, it ought to be sensational.