GRAPE TASTING

SQUITCHY SATURDAYS- VINTAGE SPECIAL

VINTAGE is here and Squitchy Lane is a hive of activity as the many varieties of grapes are harvested from our Gruyere property.

Come and join the team at Squitchy Lane, as Steve Sadlier, viticulturist, explains in detail the wine harvesting process- from planting to picking and crushing.

Challenge your taste buds on fresh grapes snipped from the vine of Merlot, Cabernet and Cabernet Franc. A blind tasting is sure to test your palate.

We hope to also offer a small selection of grape juices, fresh from the press, for you to try.

An intimate experience at a boutique vineyard where you can speak directly to the producer.

If you've always been intrigued by the how and why of a Yarra Valley harvest, drop in to the cellar door between 11am- 4pm and get involved with vintage 2012!

Of course the finished product will also be available for sale and tastings on the day. Sit back under our umbrellas and enjoy a glass of wine in the peaceful setting of our Yarra Valley property.

WHAT: Tasting of grapes, freshly pressed juice and current vintage wines at Squitchy Lane vineyard in the Yarra Valley.

WHERE: Squitchy Lane Vineyard, 9 Medhurst Road, Gruyere

WHEN: Saturday March 3, 2012

TIME: 11am to 4pm

WHAT’S INCLUDED: Informative session with viticulturalist Steve Sadlier as he describes the harvest process from planting to picking and crushing. Tastings of different grape varieties, freshly pressed grape juice and current vintage wines.

COST: No charge.

CHARDONNAY HARVEST

2012 harvest starts tomorrow. We will be picking our P58 clone of Chardonnay (P stands for Penfolds since this is where this clone first came to light in Australia). It looks good, still retains good natural acidity and has all the tropical, limey fruit characters we are looking for.

 Bunches are small, as are individual berries. The clusters are not as tightly packed as usual which is great for air flow through the bunch to reduce moisture and humidity build-up. This greatly reduces any potential for damaging disease outbreaks. 
We bottled the 2011 last week. It will get a year in our temperature-controlled storage before it is released. It's slightly different in style from our previous wines, with the inclusion of a small amount of malo-lactic fermentation to add depth. 
Here's to 2012!

RIPENESS

The Pinot Noir bunches are ripening quickly--look back in the blog at earlier posts to see just how rapid the colour change and berry fulness has occurred--and I expect that we will harvest them within ten days.
It's been a marvellous ripening period for the early varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. Acids remain high, thanks to the cool nights, and the rather mild conditions during the day have helped retain fruit flavour. Contrary to what might be called received wisdom, I like to see the grapes ripen quickly. The common view that long growing seasons give the best flavours is widespread--you'll see this opinion on back labels, on websites, in the media, in wine books and you will hear it in conversations with experts and opinion leaders. Well, I don't buy it. Given the choice, I'll take rapid veraison and ripening.
Often, grapes that take a long time to ripen lose natural acidity which must then be added at the winery. What's more, this long ripening can mean that the vines are over-cropped and struggling to ripen the crop load.
That's why I like the fast and even ripening we get at Squitchy Lane. It tells me the crop is in balance and that we will not be forced to add acid at the crusher. It also tells me that we have the right site for the grapes. There's a hard-to-define freshness that comes with all this--you can taste it in the Pinot Noir and the Cabernet especially although the Chardonnay also has it.
More on Chardonnay in the next post.