FALL 2009
I remember so clearly a moment
28 years ago when a fellow winemaker expressed his ecstatic enthusiasm
for the start of harvest. The new harvest was a chance to start fresh
and if he was artful or lucky he might make the best wine of his career.
His comment really struck a chord, and to this day I get excited about
every harvest. Part of the thrill is the urgency involved in making
quick sound decisions. In my view, in order to make the best possible
wine, a winemaker has a window of two or three days to get the fruit
picked from a particular vineyard. Too soon and the wine is insipid,
too late and one forfeits the nuance and perfume the vineyard has
to offer.
This harvest started off at a ferocious pace. After the coolest summer
I can remember in Ojai, I expected ripening to be delayed. But instead
a mild heat-spell that began at the end of the last week of August
propelled all the grapes we buy in Ojai as well as the sauvignon blanc
and pinot noir purchased in northern Santa Barbara County to ripen
quickly. By the end of the first week of September we had brought
in 60% of our grapes for the year, about 2 weeks ahead of our usual
schedule.
Imagine my bewilderment when I was back up in the vineyards checking
out the chardonnay, which always ripens later, to see another winemaker's
pinot noir grapes still hanging on the vine three weeks after I had
harvested mine! I was so curious that I had to pick a few berries
and taste this super ripe fruit. Regrettably these pinot grapes were
flat tasting, since there was no natural acidity left. The grapes
were mellow and sweet, tasted like raisins and plums-but they lacked
freshness or spiciness.
The best time to pick a vineyard remains a quandary in rain-free Southern
California. No compelling environmental worries, like impending winter
storms force the hand of the winemaker. It is much more subtle-what
aroma, flavor, and texture-profile does one prefer? A few years ago,
the most popular style for chardonnay was a wine of super ripeness,
extreme alcohol, over-the-top oakiness, and flabby acidity. Maximum
impact was the goal, finesse and balance were eschewed. While the
market for these clunky wines is still thriving, consumer interest
in chardonnays with zip and minerality, wine that makes your mouth
water for another sip, is growing apace. I see a similar future for
red wine in this country, following the evolution we have seen with
chardonnay.
Adam Tolmach