Harvesting the Sangiovese

2015 was a strange harvest, but in many ways there is no normality when it comes to farming, so I suppose all harvests are a bit strange.  We are very impressed with the quality of fruit this year.  Yields were down about 50% across the board, but the fruit that was on the vine was ambrosial.  With no rain all summer in Sonoma County, there was no mold on any clusters we harvested.  The fruit has thick skin, with an older more wise feel to it.  It’s almost like it’s been grown in a desert so every ounce of energy each vine has was worked into the berries.  Here are some photos taken at Speedy Creek Vineyard in the Knights Valley on harvest day September 12th, 2015.  The vineyard is absolutely stunning.  The owner Dave Burton even planted a grape amphitheater.  We generally pick the Sangiovese when the clusters have 10-15% raisons as we want them to be full flavored.  This being the 3rd year we’ve harvested from Speedy Creek, we’re really starting to understand the flavors the different blocks of Sangiovese have, when they ripen and how they are going to ferment.  Dave is a great teacher and has been educating us on the vineyards, farming techniques and his philosophies being tending to a vineyard.  We’ll be releasing our 2013 Sangiovese in the spring of 2016 so everyone will be able to taste this marvelous vineyard soon.