I originally wrote this post in September 2009.

This morning we discovered we didn’t have enough challah to make french toast for Labor Day guests. We started calling around St Helena. Sunshine Grocery? Nope and in fact we couldn’t find anyone who knew what challah was. Model Bakery? Nope. Safeway? Nope, but the gal checked and found out that the Safeway bakery does make it but she explained they bake challah “only on special holidays… you know… like Christmas.” LOL.

I’m very happy to provide this update.  Labor Day 2011 must be a special holiday.  Challah has been discovered in Napa.  They do thoughtfully label it so that the uninformed are not too confused.

 

Veraison is complete at Baconbrook with very even color. Fruit load is light through much of the vineyard but what we have looks good. Cool evenings and foggy mornings are giving way to warm 90 degree days. Perfect September weather.

I’m not a cat person, but one can’t help but chuckle and say “Ahhhhh” when watching this video.

Today we bottled a little over 200 cases of yummy 2009 Butterdragon Hill Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was remarkably clean and needed no fining or filtering beyond a standard 10 micron “bug” catcher. This wine will be released next Spring.

Now we can have our own code when texting.  Check out this funny list of text slang for baby boomers from the New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2011/08/15/110815sh_shouts_sorensen

Here are some pics of my walk at Butterdragon a few days ago.  Cluster size is below normal on all the Cabernet Sauvignon but clones 7 and 15 seem less affected than clone 337.  The only color I saw was in clone 15.  Our 3 rows of Merlot seem less affected by the spring shatter.  The Merlot had probably mostly completed flower by the time of spring rains.

I gotta share this.  What will Discovery or the History Channel be broadcasting in a thousand years?

2006 Alban Vineyards Grenache Alban Estate Vineyard – USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley (7/22/2011)

Bold, mouthcoating, and heavy… cloying and of questionable enjoyment UNTIL the main coarse of citrus soy marinated pork tenderloin was served. It’s a tale of two wines: untempered, the unctuous cherry liqueur flavors overwhelm, but balanced with food, it held up well and complemented, revealing additional fresh turned earth, smokey grill, and raspberry. No rating as this is definitely an exceptionally well-made wine in a style that is not really my cup of tea but with the right meal, it’s the right choice.

Posted from CellarTracker

  It appears that, like so many other Northern California vineyards this year, we’re going to have a smaller than usual crop.  Late rains and cooler temperatures that struck during flower caused shatter and reduced the number of clusters that are maturing and the amount of fruit set.  Clusters that are there seem to be looser and have smaller berries.  We expect Butterdragon to be down about 15% and Baconbrook by as much as 25%.

Note that this is not yet a reflection on the quality of the vintage, and in fact, as grape growers who sell to other wineries, it’s good for that market — but expect less wine from us for the 2011 vintage.