Wow – what a quick harvest this has been! In fact, it’s almost history, as the estate Cab Franc is coming in this week. Even the Petit Verdot beat it to the punchdown! That pretty much leaves a wee bit of Grenache and Mourvèdre over at Pichon still hanging. Don’t forget this evening, October 1, …
As kids get back to school all over the region, we’re about to welcome The Class of 2014 to the old Schoolhouse. Harvest is upon us—we’re expecting to pick the Estate Pinot Noir very, very soon, right after Labor Day. Then it’s all hands on deck as the tons (and tons) of primo grapes start …
Countdown to Harvest! August is here—and that means our annual “Count Down to Harvest” has begun in earnest. As is the usual at the Schoolhouse, August is the month we’ve been busy bottling: this year, a whopping 2300 cases of wine! Wow. Meanwhile, in the vineyards, the Chardonnay couldn’t look more plump or inviting, and …
Here at Burrell School, we’re busily pressing off the last of the reds after primary fermentation has completed for our most bountiful Harvest 2013. What a year it’s been! Nearly 73 tons!! WOW! After a fun visit to see the twin grandsons in Colorado, Anne & Dave are enjoying the mild November weather here in …
October is the month of prevalent punchdowns, as the grapes come marching in. And we’re about 80% all in at this point — hooray! in fact, the Estate Merlot will be picked later this week: that’s a record!! We’ve had a busy month of September with harvest in full swing. So far 30.1 tons of fantastic fruit …
Here at the Schoolhouse, the aromas of ripening grapes means that Harvest is upon us! Our Estate Pinot Noir is ripe and ready to be picked first with Chardonnay to follow. Vintage 2013 is shaping up to be spectacular with excellent quality and quantity along with fantastic flavors. We’ll be posting updates on Facebook with …
Wow! This year’s growing season has been one of high speed and overall high temperatures, so we’re in the final stretches of ripening now, with all the reds entering the stage we call “veraison,” where the grapes turn from hard green marbles to their purple-hued majesty. We’re in a “Count Down to Harvest” this month. …
At last, harvest is winding down, and the Class of 2012 has pretty much made its way into the cellar. Reds are being pressed and moved to barrels and our cellar space is rapidly filling up. An impressive 77.2 tons of grapes have hit the crush pad and Winemaker Dave is super impressed with all …
October is here and it’s time to fall for our mountains. There’s nothing like the beautiful colors that begin to appear in the vineyards once the grapes have been plucked. Come see the changes of the seasons, and pick up your special Fall Caramels – get a custom logo’d 2-pack with every two bottle purchase, …
September is officially Wine Month in California, and to celebrate, we decided to pick grapes! Actually, our class of 2012 Pinot Noir students were so eager to begin their higher education at Burrell School, that they matriculated on the last day of August, just before Labor Day! It’s been a busy time on the crushpad, …
The harvest of 2011 could well be classified as an interminable wait, punctuated by frenetic bouts of picking activity, followed by yet more interminable waiting, nail biting, some pleas to heaven for abatement of rain, and abundance of sun, followed by thankful, hurried blitzkriegs of picking in advance of yet more grey, gloomy, ill-portending storm …
At Burrell School Vineyards, there’s the sound of corks popping in celebration of the end of harvest. There’s also the quiet sighs of relief after what has been a nail-biting season, with overall reduced yields. Anne and Dave are very grateful to their Santa Clara vineyard partners for supplying them with Cabernet a-plenty for the …
The early and persistent rains have slowed harvest down, but not after a feverish push to bring in all the grapes that were ready for the crusher. Chardonnay is safely in barrel! The Merlot on the estate is still hanging out and the Petit Verdot will be a while in coming around to ripeness, but …
Harvest 2011 Update!! The Burrell School Estate “Principal’s Choice” Pinot is all safely pressed off into barrels, and resting comfortably, while the wood goes to work. There was a wee bit of a break with the cooler weather of the past weekend, but things are amping up in the heat index, and the grapes on …
We love this time of year at the old schoolhouse, as everyone eagerly anticipates the arrival of the Class of 2011. With the recent heat, the grapes are actually getting riper, the reds are all pretty much turned and their colors are deepening. Take a look at this Pinot! It’s spectacular, and we are testing …
It’s back to school time here at the big red schoolhouse! We love this time of year at the schoolhouse, as everyone eagerly anticipates the arrival of the Class of 2011. The grapes are actually getting riper, the reds are all turning color, with the Pinot nearly 100% in veraison, and the Chardonnay (below) has …