October 20th: Picking Away!

This week has been as productive as we had hoped, and we have brought in over 100 tons of grapes.  The weather has been perfect, with days in the upper 80s, clear skies, and a good breeze.  We've brought in the Grenache and Grenache Blanc, and most of the rest of our Roussanne and Marsanne. 

With good weather forecast into next week, we're going to wait on the Mourvedre (a sample bunch is pictured above; note the still-green stems and the relatively inflated berries).  We decided that we could pick the Mourvedre if bad weather threatened, but with more sun in store, we feel that it will be even better if we wait. 

So far, so good... excellent depth of flavors, good intensity, smaller berries than 2005, and good concentration at slightly lower sugar levels than past years.  Excellent!