LeVois Vineyards 2009 Harvest
Warm fall greetings from LeVois Vineyards,
This summer was exceptionally long and mild by Healdsburg standards. Temperatures did not rise into the triple digits all summer. During a typically hot year it takes only about 45 days to go from verasion (when grape skin color changes) to harvest. This year it took over 60 days. This longer than average hang-time augers well for the 2009 vintage.
We harvested eight tons of very tasty Zinfandel on September 26th and four tons of Cabernet Sauvignon on October 7th. As usual, the Zinfandel was ready to pick before the Cabernet. It was deliciously ripe, and produced two tons per acre â low by valley floor standards, but pretty good for a mountain vineyard. I expect the 2009 Zin to be more wonderful than usual.
The Cabernet harvest was a little more challenging. The western and northern exposures of the Cab blocks tend to favor the outside (better exposed) vine rows, causing them to ripen a week or two ahead of the inside vines. We usually pick the Cab two or three times to compensate for this. This year the first picking was perfectly timed, with the sugar soaking up to 26* brix. The inside rows were about three degrees behind the outside, so we left the inside to ripen. Unfortunately, an early Pacific storm blew in on October 10th and dropped six inches of rain on us. The weather then stayed cool and calm for another two weeks, the ground remained cold and wet, and the sugar levels dropped.
When our Indian summer finally arrived (it was 80 degrees here recently!) it was too late to save the remaining Cab. Not to worry. Four tons of Cabernet Sauvignon is not bad for my small production winery.
The low yields and acidic soils of our mountainside vineyards typically produce wines of concentration and individuality, with soft tannins and natural acidity capable of aging for many years. It looks like the 2009 vintage will be another fine example of this unique terroir. Both the Zinfandel and the Cabernet Sauvignon have now completed primary fermentation, have been pressed, and are barreled down. They will undergo malolactic fermentation over the coming winter.
We are so lucky to live in one of the worldsâ premier viticulture areas. Our estate-grown wines are produced in very small quantities from grapes grown in one of the sweetest locations in the wine country. LeVois Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel have been featured at a number of sold-out wine festivals this year, as well as in some of the top Bay Area restaurants and wine shops. If you visit our website, www.levoisvineyards.com, you can keep yourself posted about upcoming wine festivals, wine tastings, and other local events featuring LeVois Vineyards wines.
Our 2006 Zinfandel and 2005 Cabernet are both almost sold out. We are reserving the last 40 cases of our 2006 Zinfandel ($28.00 per bottle) for direct sale to our âfriends of the wineryâ. It is a luscious, elegant wine that offers layered aromas and concentrated ripe black cherry fruit and white pepper spice typical of Bradford Mountain Zinfandels.
Our 2007 Zinfandel will be released in January of 2010. It is a darker, more voluptuous wine than the â06 and â05, delivering extracted flavors of very ripe dark cherry and blackberry fruit and vanilla spice. It is rich and full-bodied and has great aging potential. We have given it more time in the barrel than our
previous Zins, and are holding it in the bottle a little longer as well.
About 50 cases of our 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon ($30.00 per bottle) are still available. The 2006 Cab (also $30.00) is now available. Both vintages are lively Super Tuscan style Cabs, and offer plenty of the characteristic Bradford Mountain dark cherry fruit, with soft tannins, and an earthy lingering finish with hints of green olives, leather, and tobacco.
Our Estate grown wines are extremely limited in quantity, so we encourage you to act soon if you want to try them. We thank you for your ongoing support and encouragement, and wish you many years of enjoyment from our wonderful new releases!
Warm regards,
Maurice and Maureen