Happy Christmas: 2009.

Yuletide greetings from the Napa Valley to everyone who visits Vinsanity.
Vinomaker, the Vinodogs and I wish all deserving folks a very healthy and happy New Year.

It's raining Cabs.

Vinomaker has an abundance of Cabernet sauvignon fermentations right now, all bubbling away at once. Alongside our own clone 4 we have clones 2, 7, 24, 169 and 337, all intensely busy with their respective biological, chemical and physical approach to fermentation: it's like some demented, oenological Fibonacci number sequence. I suspect Vinomaker must be following his own, hitherto unnamed, mathematical formula to keep track of everything that is going on. This includes yeast choice, as the selection of different strains of yeasts are a major contributor to the diversity of wine even among the same grape variety, never mind clonal variations.

Resembling one of Macbeth's demonic witches, Vinomaker is down in the winery twice a day working his magic. Performing punch-downs, taking temperatures, and spinning hydrometers in cylinders of adolescent wine; whilst all the time invoking the beneficence of Dionysus (or St. Vincent if I were the winemaker), in the successful transmutation of grapes into wine. There are handwritten notes, Excel spreadsheets, textbooks, website printouts, and industry catalogues strewn all over Vinoland. Where all of this wine is going to be aged, stored, and blended is still a mystery.

What is clear to me however, is that it is making it even more likely that the Vinodogs and I will have to look for an alternate living space...for a short spell.

Leaf pulling time.

I had decided that my vineyard operation for the day would be pulling leaves on the east side of the Syrah vines. Any methoxypyrazines present were to be banished from Vinoland. That was until Mother Nature decided to raise the mercury to 105F. I had only gotten through five rows of vines when the heat got to me and I had to scurry off to the relative coolness of the house. But not before I grabbed a couple of leaves for 'show and tell'.
Look at the size of the leaf from one of our table grapes, Crimson Seedless, compared to an average sized Cabernet sauvignon leaf. Can we say sugar factory? There is a lot of surface area there that one would think would produce more sugar in table grapes than wine grapes...but think again. Can we say alcohol? Yea, baby!

Veraison invasion.

The methoxypyrazine massacre is in full swing in Vinoland. Those nasty vegetal flavours of green beans and bell peppers, that you sometimes get in wine, are being chased away by Mr. Sunshine. I would estimate that our Cabernet sauvignon vines are about 40% of the way through veraison.
It is an unfortunate fact that Cabernet sauvignon grapes tend to have high levels of methoxypyrazines. However, with a couple of careful farming techniques e.g. performing a green harvest and the removal of leaves in the fruit zone, sun exposure can be optimised to aid in bringing the crop to physiological ripeness.
Of course, pulling too many leaves could possibly result in sunburned fruit, especially on west facing vine rows, so judicious leaf pulling is recommended. It's not as if you can slather Hawaiian Tropic SPF 50 on them and then blame the resulting coconut component, in the finished wine, on the American oak barrel! Well, you could...

All stirred up.

Washed, sliced and stir-fried. My first courgette tasted fabulous.
Vinomaker paired his dinner with a California Reisling. Vinogirl paired her dinner with a Napa Cabernet sauvignon.
More veggies please.

Frost never sleeps.

I recently shared this bottle of wine, (and a couple of others), with Vinomaker and Thud. It was fantastic. You don't always get what you pay for with the higher end Napa Cabernets but this wine was truly wonderful. The Far Niente 2005 Cabernet sauvignon was very elegant and very finessed, reminiscent of a first growth Bordeaux without being old and tired. Granted, I didn't pay full price for it, I was able to get the employee discount from a friend who works there, but I am actually thinking it was well worth the $125 asking price.
I am very familiar with how truly magnificent Oakville Cabernets can be. Soil type and climate mid-valley have a lot to do with this, along with the vintage, and the artistry of the winemaker, but the skill of the vineyard manager cannot be overlooked. The stewardship of the grapevines is often ignored by wine writers, reviewers and bloggers...but what do they know? (It seems redundant to point out that without great grapes you cannot produce a great wine, but this fact is often disregarded. You can however make a crappy wine from great grapes.)
So, I doff my cap to the dedicated grape grower who was out at 2.00 a.m. this morning, starting the fans for the Far Niente Chardonnay, whilst I snuggled into a warm, cosy bed and was lulled into a deep sleep by their rather pleasant drone. I'll grant you that he earns every penny he gets.

Le Chat Noir.

I have no intention of turning my blog into a wine review venue. Boring! Alas, here I am pontificating on a 'must have in your glass' Napa Valley potable.
Tonight, Vinomaker and I spent the evening at Black Cat Vineyard where we were treated to an advance tasting of their '06 vintage, (they were releasing a Cabernet sauvignion for the first time). Hitherto, proprietor and wine maker, Tracey Reichow, has concentrated on a stunning Syrah, which she grows herself, and a Syrah/Cab blend, (her Family Cuvee). With the '06 vintage, Black Cat has achieved a wine industry trifecta. I can't imagine wanting any red wine combo other than this trio, they are that good.
It was however a little freaky without the Vinodogs around. Anyone out there want me to review their Black Dog wine? I am more canine, than feline, inclined.