Camalie Vineyards Grower's Blog 2017Camalie Vineyards Grower's Blog 20179/28/17 7:30am Temp 64F. We have had rising temperaturs from 80 to 89.5 over the last 4 days. Good late season weather. Irrigating just a very small amount. Brix readings taken same as 9/21 got values of 27.0 Brix for the Merlot and 25.0 Brix for the Block 3 Cabernet Sauvignon. 2.0 - 2.8 Brix increase in a week which is what we see here is rapid ripening. The green flavors are all gone based on my tasting while sampling. There is some limited shrivel but, not bad. Some really nice jammy flavors on the sunny side of the vines and where there is some dimpling of the grapes, 10-20%. These blocks could be harvested almost any time now. Note the rest of the vineyard is somewhat behind these blocks in general.
9/21/17 7:30am Temp 47F. I took samples this morning and got 24.2 Brix for the Merlot and 23.0 for the Cabernet Sauvignon in block 3 row 57 approximately. I used my new Vee Gee Refractometer which seems to work quite nicely for $89 from Napa Fermentation.
9/11/17 11:00am. William Wood came to visit the vineyard and take some samples. He sampled block 4 where his fruit will come from and got a brix of 20.3 Brix. Later in the day he remeasured at his winery and got 21 Brix, T.A. 7.85, pH 3.38.
I sampled the Merlot but, got a couple cab grapes in the sample and got 23.0 Brix. These measurements were taken with Bill's refractometer which is different from the one used on 9/3.
9/3/17 11:30am @ ambient Temp 93F after two days of 105F and nights no lower than 80F. The Merlot Brix measured was 26.0 Brix and the block 3 Cabernet Sauvignon in rows 57,58,59 was 23.0 Brix. The vines are showing some stress and the red blotch is starting to show but, the fruit is tasting really good. No worry about it ripening this year. No more green grapes to be seen. Expect an early Harvest. Six days over 100F this year already which I can't remember happening in any other year of the last 17.
Below is a picture of some dimpled Merlot. This was not typical but looks cool.
Below you can see a Merlot vine. No signs of water stress even after the 100F days. These vines are dry farmed.
Below is another picture of the Merlot but, from the North side where Ramon has pulled leaves.
8/17/17 Just found out that no matter who buys the property or when the 2017 grapes belong to Cindy and I. The property is currently in escrow. The divorce is still in progress.
As such, I will be harvesting the grapes again this year with Ramon's help and your payments will come to Cindy and I. Sometimes the realtors have your back I'm pleased to say.
I would start taking some brix readings soon except I sold all my winemaking and grape growing gear. However, I'm sure I can find a refractometer in Napa Valley somewhere. By the way the grapes are looking great and starting to taste great as well. The Merlot has more sweetness than table grapes already. We are 90% through veraison overall but, fruit in the sun has all turned. The Cab is still pretty green but, in block 3 where it is furthest along you can begin to get a sense of the vintage. Berry sizes are a little smaller than normal at Camalie and I've heard elsewhere as well. The crop size looks healthy as well. Here are a couple pictures from Block 3 North side of the vines.
I just transferred another 20K gallons of water from the neighbor's pond which puts us in good shape for irrigation going forward. We have a water agreement for this water. We have barely used the wells.
If you want to come out and look at the grapes let me know. I'll be away the 23rd through the 28th. Mom's 90th birthday.
Camalie Vineyards Grower's Blog 2016
Pulido Vineyard Management Grower's Blog 2015
Pulido Vineyard Management Grower's Blog 2014
Camalie/Konrad/Crouse/ Grower's Blog 2013
Camalie/Konrad Grower's Blog 2012
Camalie Grower's Blog 2010, 2011
Konrad Grower's Blog 2009, 2010
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All photography by Mark Holler. Copyright 2009-2017
Last Updated 9/17/17 M.Holler