We are within ten days of finishing harvest and I would sign a contract to have harvest weather every year like we had this year! We managed to escape three heat spikes, two potential rains, and one very cold night and have already surpassed the number of tons harvested in 2011. The thing that impresses me the most about vintage 2012 is that almost all of our grapes were picked at optimum maturity. To do this, it takes a great deal of luck with the weather and a vineyard that was fine tuned by a group of farm workers and staff who made it possible. At the winery, Megan and Noemi have responded to the needs of the grapes and we expect some superior wines. We are looking forward to the vintage with great expectations.
2011 Old Vine Moscato: In the past, we were successful with L&L Muscat Blanc. This wine is a continuation of that wine with a few changes, for instance, the name! The style is similar with some residual sugar but not sweet. Our old vineyard was noted for its great flavors. About ten years ago, we added an additional row between the existing rows. 12-foot spacing became 6-foot spacing alternating between the old rows and new rows. The new vines have done extremely well and are typically harvested with the old vines. I thought it would be interesting to pick the old vines separately for this wine, which has now become more popular than ever. If you’re a Moscato fan, this is the one. Believe it or not, Moscato is now a more popular white wine than Sauvignon Blanc.
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, "Clone 6": My first encounter with Clone 6 was in receiving a bottle of BV Clone 6 about twelve years ago as a club member of Beaulieu Vineyards for the price of $120. It caught my attention. The wine was very good. I don’t know about the $120. Within a year, I was inquiring where I might locate Clone 6 vines. I was discouraged by a few people who said it was a difficult grape to grow but we decided that maybe we should try our own Clone 6. This is our second vintage. The 2006 tied for second place in the Napa Valley Cabernet Shoot-out out of 213 premium wines. This one is as good or better and it keeps improving with a little more time. If you like true Cabernet character, this is it. It is special.
This year’s cruise to Alaska created lifetime memories, mostly because of the people who went and, of course, the fine wine that they drank! This coming year, we are planning 7 days up the New England coast to Canada with stops in Boston, Maine, Nova Scotia, Canada, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec City. When you plan the new year, the wine cruise experience is worth considering.
In a few weeks, we will be celebrating one of the great holidays, Thanksgiving. It’s a word that doesn’t need a definition. May the spirit of this day bring us all together.