Posted on: Carmen Stevens's wall

Wow, what a day! We started the 2012 harvest today and kicked off with the most Beautiful Sauvignon Blanc grapes. I would like to mark this as one of my best Sauvignon Blanc days in the seventeen vintages ,I have work in any cellar. Why? You might wonder, well let me tell you: I got a perfect juice analysis in terms of pH, total acid and sugar. Amazing after that hot - hot spell we had one and a half weeks ago. We made a decision not to panic but to sit it out. We decided to make sure that the ventilation was at its best in the canopy (we took temperatures in the canopy, checked if the leaves was still happy – they too had to be cool at the touch), checked the pressure in the leaves as a double measurement, and when it was not what we aimed for ,would just - just ease the stress with some water. We also took shoots out from the wires to work as an umbrella to shade the bunches – as well as work as protection against the afternoon sun, and wow again the flavor spectrum range from green apple to passion fruit to jalapeño (not green, please but the pepper edginess of the jalapeño) and funny, almost a sultana sweet after taste, just a whole spectrum of beautiful flavors captured in one block of grapes. The tipical zesty acidity of Sauvignon Blanc adds to the refreshing experience on the after taste. JUST LOVEY!!! Now for the nurturing of this beautiful juice to support it with love and attention to be the best it can be. Please keep your fingers crossed from now on and I will say my special little prayer for this tank tonight and touch the tank every morning to make it feel save to perform at its best. My kids came to inspect the grapes after school. Both took some for the teacher to taste tomorrow. I guess they too think it is just beautiful in taste!!! It is 10pm we done for the day , juice are settling into there new home and me I am going home now to check on homework , this year two homework books to check. Wow, again, the harvest has started with a bang of flavours!!!and i am avery happy winemaker tonight !!! :- )))))

Carmen 20:58 31/01/2012 Comment

Posted on: Jock Harvey's wall

We started picking a couple of nights ago, first time weve picked iN January
, this is because the crops are light and we've had a classic year, wet winters, mild spring and a few hot days in summer. 2012 will go down as a classic. On Sunday night it was still in the mid twenties around midnight when Nadal and Jocovik were playing their epic final at the Australian Open, I was picking Chardonnay around midnight when a shower of rain came through, the fruit tasted like pineapple and with a warm night and a shower of rain it felt more like Asia than McLaren Vale. We'll be picking the Savignan for Jacko's Leap in a couple of weeks, drink up, drink safe

Jock 12:38 31/01/2012 Reply