- Javier Sr Tending Vines
Happy Labor Day to all – and what a fitting description of the Holiday as most of us in the wine business are busy laboring today! And no one is laboring harder than our vineyard and winemaking crew, both headed up by Mike Brunson.
I got a chance to film Mike late Friday — take a peek at the video below as Mike takes a break from harvest to update us all on the state of the vintage in Dry Creek Valley as well as some specifics here at Michel-Schlumberger.
All in all, things are looking great. Being high up in the hills & benchlands above Dry Creek Valley, we were not hurt by a frost this Spring that really challenged other regions in the state. Frost tends to migrate to the lower parts of valleys — we fortunately don’t really have those! But we do have steep hillsides which tends to challenge yields in general. Our grapes are tiny, highly concentrated, & extremely flavorful…but as a result, the crop off these vineyards is small.
We’ve picked all of the early ripening Pinot Blanc; pulled in several ton of the Chardonnay; picked a bit of Pinot Noir (for a special rose we’ll have available only at the winery!); and a splash of Viognier. That’s right, Viognier. We have 15 varietals growing on the Estate — but only 5 have their own label. The rest are like spices in the kitchen for Mike to cook with as the wines progress. It is one of the secrets to our fantastically complex and tasty wines! Check out Mike himself on video and we’ll keep you posted weekly on the harvest progress.
