I just finished our 2020 vintage and prepared the vineyard for the next season. All our wines have been pressed off the skins and are now resting in oak barrels. We will leave our Pinot Noir for about 18 months and our Syrah for 33 months. Time will tell whether it was worth all the effort but both wines show early promise so we are hopeful.
Once the wines went into the barrels, we inoculated with Malo-Lactic bacteria to start the Malo-Lactic conversion (also called Malo-Lactic fermentation or MLF) where the bacteria consume the harsh and bitter Malic acid and produce Lactic acid instead. Lactic acid is softer and sometimes has a buttery taste (especially in white wines). Most red wines go through MLF to soften the wine and create more mouthfeel. After 4-6 weeks we checked the progress of the MLF. We used a chemical analysis that showed whether there was any Malic acid left in the wine. You can see the analysis in the photo where we still have one wine with some Malic acid left.
In the vineyard, the leaves are turning and we have cleaned up and packed the bird nets away, ready for next year. I collected 2 tons of horse manure from the local horse stables to use as fertilizer next year. We try to grow our vines organically, and horse manure is a good source of nitrogen. Our dogs, Cookie and Cruz, also thought the horse manure was quite nice so had to get a bath.
With the winter coming, we get a chance to drink some of our wines. I just bottled our 2015 Pinot Port which is absolutely delicious and will be perfect for the Holidays.
