Wednesday afternoon we got the results back from the lab. Sounds pretty official right. Not a medical lab but rather a wine lab that analizes grape samples around Sonoma county. The results were actually regarding the pH, tartritable acidity and sugar levels from a block of Chardonnay Shaunt and myself will be picking from this weekend.
The results, needless to say were a little disappointing. The brix levels are up two degrees higher than what we would have liked to have picked at. Twenty-four brix and rising putting our potential wine at a potential alcohol level of 13% plus alcohol by volume. That's it you might say? Low by California standards as most Chardonnays clock in somewhere between 14 and 15 % abv.
So what were we thinking? A white characterized by its acidity rather alcholic, new oak laden body. A sleek, bracing wine in lieu of a flabby oak bomb.
Not to say there aren't other variables involved. The fruit is not coming out of Sonoma Coast or Burgundy for that matter. The Cloverdale vineyard has a relatively warm microclimate with other blocks consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel. This past week has also seen a heat spike with temps hitting the mid to upper nineties and due to the fact that Shaunt runs a cellar and I am on the go six days out of the week we have but a few Sundays to pick from to get the fruit off the vines.
The joys and decisions in winemaking are only now making themselves apparent. Before it was so easy, fruit comes in and you deal with it. Now it is when, where, how and with what free time.
Not to say things are starting to get interesting...
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