2024 Harvest -- Done!

The suspense is over -- a short hot spell at the end of June got our attention, but in retrospect, it wasn't an issue -- at our place in the hills, it meant 3 or 4 days in the upper 90Fs, which is well within historically "normal" weather during the growing season.  With that exception, the weather was near-perfect -- moderately warm days and cool nights to bring the sugars along slowly without burning out the acid.

The weather did take a decidedly abnormal turn on September 30, but by then, of our total harvest of 86 tons, we had already picked 84. 

The moderate weather meant Diana was able to make picking decisions on the basis of the gradual ripening process, without being hurried along by heat spikes or smoke from nearby wildfires.  As important, once the decisions were made, we were able to bring in each block right on time -- across the valley, the only way to bring in everyone's grapes is for most of the crews to be moving around among the different producers, so there's no guarantee a crew will be available at the moment you want to pick a particular block. 

The heatwave starting on September 30 brought daily high temperatures in the 100s -- unlike any weather we can remember in our 70 years farming grapes on the ranch, up until 2017, when climate change finally took hold, making the "new normal" frequent drought years, shocking heat waves, and the constant threat of wildfires and smoke.  We are very fortunate to have been given a year like this one. 

The first lots are already through fermentation, out of the press and in the barrel and Diana's initial assessment is that they are very, very good -- plenty of ripeness, and also plenty of gentle tannins and other acids to provide life.