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You do the Mash
I was working in the lab late last night...
Actually, no. No I wasnt. I'm not really a lab type. I've never inoculated a ferment. It's not hip or edgy or better than using yeast or focusing on the science of oenology, it's simply my preference. Wild ferments are fun for me. Adventure! I like to let nature guide the process as much as possible and consider myself more of a grape shepherd than a winemaker.
Imagine my nerves then, when our final pick took almost a week to start primary fermentation. All of our other lots kicked off within 3 days. Fortunately the fruit was simply a little cold, and it needed more time to get the party started. Now it's ripping and converting sugar into alcohol in a glorious fashion. It smells and tastes really, really good.
All of the lots have been terrific this year with Brix in the 26 range, pH pinning 3.5 or a fraction away, and total acidity at or near 0.50. As I mentioned earlier, this is going to be an amazing vintage. Not only for us, but for the entire region. Nice!
We did some trick or treating with the kid tonight. Harvest is winding down, and we are beyond excited for what the future holds for the Adams Ranch Vineyard and Ledge. We released our Fall Allocations and sold out of the Adams Ranch Syrah in a hurry. What remains of the JBV will be reserved for our Spring 2019 release - so jump on that list if you do not want to miss out next time.
The work is really hard, but we are enriched and blessed by the opportunity to farm this vineyard and make these wines for you.
Thank you!
Adams Ranch Grenache "Fin Block" October 2018
Picking the Adams Ranch "Ledge Block" October 2018
Adams Ranch 95% Syrah, 5% Roussanne Fermenting, October 2018
Oct 31, 2018 at 10:00 PM
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Pack it up Pack it in
Whelp, it was bound to happen.
I was on my way to the tinkle station this fine fresh Thursday morn, when it dawned on me that I forgot to update the "Wine Wednesday" blog. It's cool though, I lied and back dated this post to about 4 hours ago. No one will ever know...
Here's the update:
We brought in the Bien Nacido Estrella Clone Syrah this morning and as a result are officially done picking fruit for Ledge.
The cellar work continues but the fruit is all in.
This is going to be a killer vintage, mark my words.
More soon on that.
Now, for my next trick...
I will stare - for two hours - at the back of my eyelids !
Bien Nacido at Dawn this morning 10/24/2018
Oct 24, 2018 at 11:31 PM
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Full Moon Fever
Fun news for the three people who read this blog:
Ledge is expanding into Santa Barbara County.
Why?
We are exploring our roots, literally.
Our first planting of Syrah (own rooted in sandy soils) is called the Estrella clone and it was propagated from the Bone Rock Block at James Berry Vineyard, a vineyard that was literally jackhammered into heavy limestone soils. The JBV Bone Rock Syrah was propagated from a vineyard called Bien Nacido in Santa Barbara County, one that enjoys the combined terroir of the ocean, the desert, the river, groves of avocado and citrus, incredibly complex soils and I'm not sure but I think Jesus may still hang out around here on his days off.
All that said, when I visited this vineyard (thanks to Trey and Mike and Chris for giving us this opportunity) it tasted very much like my sensory memories of my Granparent's homes (on both sides) in Escondido, where Mom and Dad are from. The fruit gives essence of ocean and groves and OP shorts and strawberries and kumquats and orange fights and whipped cream and cousins and vacation.
This vineyard is the Adams Ranch Syrah's Grandparent, and we are totally stoked to make wine from this fruit. We will be bringing it in on the next full moon, October 24th, 2018.
Oct 17, 2018 at 11:47 PM
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Little Boxes on the Hillside
Big boxes acually, and a lot of them. Today was a humdinger. We picked, processed and pressed wine into barrel, which we call a "Triple P" day, which started at 6am and wrapped up a few moments ago around 10pm.
Git 'er done.
The past few days have been exciting ones for Ledge. We brought in the Adams Ranch Grenache, Rolph Family Grenache and Syrah and the glorious James Berry Vineyard Syrah, Grenache, Mourvédre and Roussanne, which we will combine together in one happy coferment.
There has been much conversation these days about the definition of various fruit quantities. As I become more adept at farming and winemaking these definitions have become clearer and clearer.
Allow me to break down what I am talking about:
It starts with a "Butt Load" which is not that much really, say, a few tons or so.
Next we have an "Ass Load" which would probably be in the 10 ton range.
Several "Ass Loads" would likely constitute a "Shit Load".
Once "Shit Loads" are multiplied you get to a "Fuck Load" which is getting into a hot mess, with grapes flying hither and thither.
As grapes are flying hither and thither and tractors and trucks keep delivering fruit the jargon moves to the Queen Bee of harvest measurements. You see, a "Load" is no longer an adequate way to define how much damn fruit is being processed. That's when you get to the final two: "Shit Ton" which is a maelstrom of "Fuck Loads" and when you start multiplying "Shit Tons" you get to a "Fuck Ton" which is a measurement which cannot really be measured by any instruments know to man. It's like a Laird Hamilton worthy monster wave of grapes that makes a vigneron scatch their head and think, "Holy hell, what we are dealing with here is a fuck ton of fruit."
I hope you enjoyed this little lesson in weights and measures.
Bye for now.
Oct 10, 2018 at 10:40 PM
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