Adam's December cellar notes
December
With Christmas fast approaching and everyone wanting time off, there is much work to be done. I wouldn’t say tying up loose-ends, but preparing for a two week hibernation, wines and staff alike. Probably the biggest detail is the barrels. If ready, pulling last years vintage and replacing with this years. It can be hard work, it can be days, it can be hell. However, this year has been extremely smooth. In fact, the whole harvest (120 tonnes+) has been smooth, borderline easy. Are we due for a surprise? I hope not.
The first wine to exit the barrel cellar is the ’08 barrel fermented Chard. Most definitely destined for the Grange line. A wine described as complex should exhibit a different aroma each time you nose it, no less than 3 times. With the ’07 and now the ’08 Grange Chardonnay you can easily do it 7+ times. Everything’s there; Orchard fruit, tangerine, caramel, butter, nutmeg, white pepper, walnuts, minerals and on and on. All on a frame that has beautiful finesse. Some wine makers finesse can be attributed to wetter years, maybe it’s just a marketing ploy?
Right behind the Chard was the ’08 Pinot Noir. A nice wine in its own right. What impresses me about our Pinot, is how dry it ferments. You would be hard pressed to find any residual sugar in the wine. The ’08 Pinot is following the traits of its predecessors. Dried red fruit, spice, lovely floral notes, lavender perhaps? Pure PEC Pinot, pure Trumpours Mill Pinot. Perhaps Pinot benefits the most from barrel aging. It goes in nice and fruity, but sometimes has a stubborn mid palette or finish that can be bitter and austere. 12 months in a barrel will fix that. It eventually rounds out and softens, the bitterness disappears. The metamorphosis is like a group of school children that aren’t getting along. After being in the same class/barrel for 12 months they are best of friends, complementing each other. They allow their individual gifts and talents to shine, while contributing to something greater as a whole.
Well, it’s back to work. The Cabernet Franc is next to come out of the barrel. It’s my favorite (though I love Pinot and Chard), but you’ll have to wait until the new year to read about it. CHEERS and Happy Holidays!
All I want for Christmas: By Caroline
The vineyards have seen their first snow but I suspect it won’t last. It has been a number of years since I last said this but all I want for Christmas is the vines hilled up. We were four days from finishing when the rains came and washed away at least a week of work. Mike and Adam were back on the fields Friday as soon ass the frost had settled deeply enough into the soil to allow the tractors back on the fields…. Hilling in the frost can be extremely effective especially in years when we struggle with too much rain on the clay …. With the frost the earth actually shatters as the hills roll up and away from the big plow blades creating more even well distributed hills.. Brian was running all day Saturday and Monday but there are still 4 or 5 more days of work and the weather is warming up again!
In the cellar things are getting quiet after the flurry of activity for the last couple of months. The 2008 Pinot Noir came out of barrel last week to prepare for bottling and the 2009 went down. I guess the only left in the old dairy parlour from the 2008 vintage now is the cabernet franc. We are still very excited about the pinot noir harvest this year the wines are showing real promise but of course now the wait begins. Adam has promised to write some early notes from the 09 vintage over the weekend so I should post them sometime next week.
In the tasting room the 2007 Brut continues to be everyone’s favorite but that probably has a lot to do with the season. Bubbles and holidays just go together I guess. The wine was featured on Spotlight Toronto last week nice review.
I saw that the fresh cranberries are in the stores now and started thinking about making Gamay jelly with fresh cranberries for Christmas dinner this year. The 2008 Gamay has been out for a few weeks now the first of the wines to get the new label……. I think its turning out to be another amazing little wine but then I have a soft spot for Gamay.
I leave for Regina tomorrow night for a couple of days of meetings for FCC. I am hoping it will not be 30 below but I suspect it will…… I am bringing my heavy coat and hat ……
