Harvest Reports 2011
November 3: Patience has paid off. Five days of beautiful warm weather made the grapes rebound to near perfect sugar levels and smiles are breaking out all over the mountain. There is widespread harvesting with most wineries trying to finish before Thursday’s expected sprinkle. The merlot crop was very short, while the cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc crops were normal to slightly above normal. Undoubtedly 2011 is one of the most trying and anxious harvests since 1972, especially as we waited out the weather for most of October. Now all that optimism is back as we anticipate finishing the harvest and we all look forward to a great vintage. More: http://napavalleyregister.com/star/business/harvest-report-napa-valley-grape-harvest-comes-to-an-end/article_58e9429c-05ce-11e1-b14a-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1cf8upKTf
October 27: A few wineries still have not harvested any grapes, but the warm and sunny days are resulting in most wineries beginning with the red grapes. With just a few exceptions, the Spring Mountain District has been spared the scourge of rot and mold, and winemakers are content to wait for optimum flavors and maturity. Harvest will certainly extend into November. Crop levels are inconsistent, with some reporting very low yields while others are anticipating good crops of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. More: http://napavalleyregister.com/star/business/harvest-report-warm-weather-helps-challenging-harvest/article_cb6d8722-002b-11e1-bf73-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1c0KKQSgK
October 20: No question that the rains have put a somber mood over the Spring Mountain District winemakers, but not sufficient to extinguish optimism for a great vintage. Slip skins and/or rot are virtually nonexistent on the mountain. The weather is holding, sugars are climbing, flavors are bold with pH and acids still good. All the winemakers I’ve spoken with are very happy with the quality coming from the younger blocks and the perennial early blocks of reds that are now being harvested. However, most are expecting to hold off harvesting their main blocks of the cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc for at least another week or two.
More: http://napavalleyregister.com/star/business/harvest-report-challenges-continue-for-grapegrowers/article_05cb6850-fabc-11e0-8452-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1bKgHeBcV
October 13: With almost 3 inches of rain last week and rain on Monday, little to nothing has happened on Spring Mountain except we’ve lost 10 days of sunshine and heat. There is still a small amount of whites out and many wineries have yet to harvest a grape. Flavors are exceptional and we are all still very optimistic about the harvest.
More: http://napavalleyregister.com/star/business/harvest-report-rain-rain-go-away/article_f3fa829e-f52c-11e0-ac3b-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1aevQHglU
October 6: Not even the threat of rain could spur Spring Mountain vintners into a flurry of activity. Most, but not all, are finished with white grapes. Pinot noir stands alone as the only red to be harvested. The rain is stopping all action for this week. Many wineries have yet to harvest a grape. Seems like a repeat of 2009 and 2010. More: http://napavalleyregister.com/star/business/harvest-report-sunshine-drying-breezes-needed/article_1d7cc66a-efb8-11e0-bbd3-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1a0Z78qaR
September 29: Spring Mountain Vineyards is picking sauvignon blanc, Pride is picking viognier, Stony Hill has picked their gewürztraminer and is finishing their chardonnay and Smith-Madrone finished with chardonnay. Everyone else is waiting. All agree that the fruit is beautiful with great flavors and chemistry. Unfortunately, the crop may be at historic lows. Many shoots and even entire plants have little to no fruit.
September 23: First day of harvest today! Chardonnay—short crop, looks good, and a week ahead of last year, probably will take two days to bring it in. Stay tuned.
September 22: Chardonnay still seems to be about a week ahead of last year; the riesling and cabernet sauvignon appear slightly ahead of last year. The cabernet franc is worrisome since it is slightly behind last year. All in all, the mountain is experiencing an excellent growing season, which portends an excellent vintage. A few wineries may start harvesting later this week.
September 15, 2011: The vines have more than ample moisture with the rain ending in early June and totaling over 70 inches. It appears that harvest is about a week earlier than 2010. Chardonnay is about 22.0 Brix; what merlot there is is now completely through veraison, cabernet sauvignon has just finished and the cabernet franc should finish this week. More: http://napavalleyregister.com/star/business/harvest-report-light-crop-and-late-year-expected/article_e83d4ce2-df43-11e0-8755-001cc4c03286.html
