 Burrell School Merlot It’s been a fruitful harvest at Burrell School — a thankful improvement over last year, when crop loads were way down due to early spring frosts and horribly hot winds in May that ruined fruit set for many Bordeaux varieties. |
 Chido unloads Petite Sirah at Burrell School All the estate fruit was harvested before the end of September, except for the Petit Verdot, which was grafted from Chardonnay in Spring of 2008. It looks gorgeous! In general, everything looks decent, but a bit low in acid. |
 Vineyard Manager Mark Seifert Tartaric is in high demand here in the mountains.Some gorgeous old vine Zin came in from Stan Moniz: it will become part of the Class Reunion blend, as will some Mourvedre from Katy Lovell’s vineyard in Livermore. |
 Ryan Oaks Zin Bunch Ten tons of beautiful foothill Zin from Ryan Oaks Vineyard in Amador arrived Oct 2 at 7pm. Picked at 25.5 Brix, the pH was about 3.5: not bad for Zin. With any luck, the hell-heat is behind us, and fermentation can carry on at a reasonable pace.
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