Harvest Still Hanging for Some

November 5, 2021 – It’s been a protracted harvest with a relatively cool summer and fall, and then the rains came. Blessedly, most vineyards, except for some in Corralitos, were all picked, but there are some varieties that insist on taking their not so sweet time in getting ripe.

Such is the case for Greg Perrucci of Perrucci Family Vineyards, who was pressing about three tons of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc last week, while awaiting additional fruit to come in. “I’ve got Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec in fermenters, with one more block of Cabernet Sauvignon yet to come. Bringing up the rear is Regan Merlot! Thought we would see it by now, but the rain was a ripening setback.” Due to the rains, he lost a big old oak tree in the Sangiovese block at the estate vineyard, which managed to take out several vines as it bit the mud. That’s just about the toughest way to add oak to wine we’ve ever encountered.

Richard Alfaro of Alfaro Family just picked 9 tons of really perfect Syrah on Wednesday, and pulled in some Late Harvest Chardonnay, which brought them to 203 total tons from the estate vineyards. “That’s the second biggest harvest in 24 years!” He’s super psyched about the vintage, calling it “incredible” for both quality and yields. Asked if the rains had an impact, he replied, “We don’t call this rain: we consider this a heavy marine layer. Our fruit is pristine and the 4 inches we got the third week of October had no impact.” After that first big rain, the temperatures ranged from 74 to 84 degrees, which were just what was needed to push the Syrah to the desired ripeness levels. 

John Benedetti of Sante Arcangeli was thrilled to complete his last press on October 29, so he could properly celebrate Halloween. “We did about 55 tons this year, down from 80,” he said. He eliminated several custom crush clients, concentrating on Sante Arcangeli, Aptos Vineyard and Lester Family. 

Benedetti feels this was a great harvest. “It’s a lot like 2018, without the volume. We had long, even ripening. Picking Pinot in October is ideal, really.  We picked between 22 or 23 brix, with really brown stems and seeds. The physiological ripeness was off the charts! The flavors are classic Corralitos. That extra month above 20 brix gave us incredible flavor – like 2018 in that level of flavor, but the smaller crop size made it even more concentrated.”  He did a fair amount of whole cluster, about 15%, which is a lot for him, because the stems were so lignified. He did 25 to 30% whole cluster on the Syrah he processed for Lester. 

Most of the fruit he brought in this year was Corralitos Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, from Split Rail, Saveria, DeLarDi (for Aptos Vineyard) and Lester. DeLarDi, near the Summit on Stetson Road, came in first. He obtained some Lester Family Chardonnay for Aptos Vineyard, and made a small amount of rosé as well. 

This year, he got the best looking fruit he’s ever had from the 5-acre Split Rail Vineyard. “I get curveballs a lot from that vineyard,” he admits. “The fruit is not as pretty as it seems to be from the actual wine. I got about 6 tons of Chardonnay and 5 tons of Pinot Noir, but didn’t get much off the top part, where the David Bruce selection is planted. Clone 32 is the backbone of the wine, along with Pommard. I love that vineyard, even though it is such a moving target.”

He got about 4 tons of Pinot Noir from Saveria Vineyard, which he loves. He’s been making since 2015. “I love that fruit! In fact, my relationship with Prudy (who manages Saveria Vineyard) is amazing: I just love her!!” 

Benedetti also got Pinot Noir from the one-acre Hand in Hand vineyard in Corralitos, which a friend of his bought. It had been neglected for about six years. “It was an old Chardonnay vineyard,” says Benedetti. “We cut the trunks below the grafted arms and budded it to Martini and Calera. It’s been a process brining it into production. Ken Swegles is now farming it organically, complete with composting and cover cropping. I got maybe one ton out of ¾ acre, which is what I expected.  It’s so intense: Calera is so wild and brooding, and has such tiny berries. Martini gets bigger clusters, and adds spice and freshness. The wine is about 12.5% alcohol. I make it for my wine club.” He made 2018 and 2019, and one barrel in 2020, which is going into his Ananda blend. 

Although most of the fruit Benedetti processed for 2021 came from Corralitos, he did bring in some Pinot Noir from Toulouse Vineyard in the Anderson Valley. It happened on a whim. Benedetti took a trip to Philo this summer to clear his head and get away. While staying at the Boonville Hotel, he dropped into Toulouse for a tasting and the owner, Vern, was pouring. John hadn’t made wine from there since 2015.  “I love to make it once in while, as an homage to the MacPhail heyday,” he says. “James MacPhail was my biggest influence. Vern is awesome and is on top of farming. I asked Vern if he wanted to sell me some grapes, and he said yes! It came in earlier than Corralitos, which surprised me.”

Dave Ferrari of Ferrari Ranch said they had a very good harvest year, with perfect temp, really clean fruit and long hang times. They harvested in mid October. They did sell a bit of Chardonnay fruit to Kenny Likitprakong from Hobo Wines and some Pinot Noir to Christian Roguenant from Lighthouse Winery in Morgan Hill. He hopes to have more wines bottled and available by May of next year, at which point they intent to resume tastings by appointment at their stunning venue at what was formerly Woodruff Vineyard.

Judy Schultze of Windy Oaks tells us that they began harvesting their estate fruit on Friday, October 21. “We are always late, and Jim reckons that we have the longest growing season of any Pinot Noir vineyard in California!”

We wondered if there had been any noticeable impact from the rain, guessing it must have caused a bit of concern. “Very mixed feelings, however, Jim was able to use our specially fitted ‘heat treatment’ equipment, to give the vineyard a good ‘blow-dry’ after the recent rains, and as Jim has said, “Most of the grape growing regions of the world get rain at inopportune times…we’re just lucky here in California most of the time.’”

Schultze says that Harvest, overall, is great this year. “In some of our estate blocks, we’ve gotten some of our highest yields ever.”

Unlike the previous year, they were able to bring in some pristine Santa Lucia Highlands fruit. “Almost all the Monterey grapes came in throughout September and early October, and it was particularly nice to get the SLH Pinot Noir, since there wasn’t any last year due to the fires.” 

Savvy Sips

2018 Ridge Zinfandel Zayante Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountains – Winemaker Eric Baugher only made two vintages from this own-rooted gem of a vineyard, tucked into a bowl-shaped hillside on Zayante Road. We wish he was still making this wine, but he’s off to Napa working on high-end Cabernet blends. Prudy Foxx has been working with this vineyard since 2018 and notes that it has always been organically farmed from its initial planting by Greg Starkey. One whiff of the black peppercorns, nutmeg and baking spice clues you in: get ready for an onslaught of flavors that begin with red roasted peppers, red plums, caraway, rye, and roasted beets glazed with dark cherry balsamic. The gravelly texture is intense, the acid perfect, and the experience just fascinating all around. A truly phenomenal wine. 

2019 Two Birds Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands ($70) – This beauty from West Life Direct, a negociant created by Testarossa National Sales Manager, Matt Clasen, comes from an iconic family in the SLH whose identity can’t be disclosed. One sip, and you know it’s got pedigree, with its strawberry, black raspberry, cardamom, Cara Cara orange and date nut bread aromas. Complex, juicy, and extraordinarily silky in texture, this wine deftly weaves together candied cherries, blueberry, green peppercorns, red raspberry, rosemary, tarragon, orange bitters and autumnal baking spices, to create a plush, cushy and endlessly pleasing wine. The texture is like wide whale corduroy. To purchase online, go to westlifedirect.com. Also available at Zanotto’s and The Wine Rack. 

2018 Beauregard Pinot Noir, Coast Grade Vineyard ($60) – There’s a signature pine scent to this vineyard that gives the wines a wonderful freshness. From the first whiff, it takes you on a hike through the heavily pine forested ridges along the coast, beckoning you to breathe deeply and enjoy. Aromatically bright and savory, with forest floor, cedar and pine cones, this smooth yet snappy wine delivers flavors of cranberry, pomegranate, tarragon and chocolate linzer torte, as it races along the palate. It’s lean yet packed with flavor and makes your mouth tingle. Wine Enthusiast gave it 96 points and we heartily concur.