Amalie Robert Estate Vintage Update: 2010 June Flowers

Hello,

Well, it looks like they are back for more, finally...

We detected the first vineyard flowers on the 180th day of the growing season. This corresponds to June 29th. The first block of Pinot Noir to show flowers this year was a neat little block of 113 clone on 5C rootstock. And what a wonderful 3 days of weather it was, before a nice wet cooling off period retuned us to early Spring like weather.

We are behind the historical curve folks. Typically the average date of flowering is the 15th of June. Not that any year has recorded flowers on that date, it is just the average. Flowering is a significant event in the vineyard because it gives us an idea of our potential harvest dates.

The harvest window for Pinot Noir generally opens 105 days after flowering. Again, it is not a "hard coded" date, but an average. For 2009, we will be looking at about the 285th day of the year to commence harvest. The 285th day of the year is a Tuesday, October 13th.

The reason it is 105 days after flowering is that we are looking for the grapes to develop flavors. Sugars are less important, in fact a cooler growing season may mean less sugars resulting in lower alcohol. But we need the day count for the flavors to develop. Hence the grower's plight - "hurry up and wait."

Not that this is bad, or good for that matter, it just is. However, in the world of probability theory we have just discovered a fact that replaces an assumption. This newfound fact tells us that we will be harvesting late this year. The later the harvest, the greater chance of deteriorating weather patterns and conflicting with the schedule of marauding flocks of starlings. These conditions also favor the gift of botrytis (aka bunch rot) for the unprepared.

It is good to bear in mind that in 2008 we did not flower until the 171st day, and look how well that vintage is regarded. Follow this link to view our 2010 Vineyard Flowers Photo Gallery.

Kindest Regards,

Ernie