Vintage 2011 Begins

With the weather still not cooperating and forecasts predicting a wetter than normal Autumn under the influence of La Nina, we bit the bullet and started harvest.
First off was the Tempranillo. Fruit quality was down on previous years as was yield.
Sugar level was 12.5 degrees Baume' and pH 3.5.
Under the circumstances we were not too disappointed. A higher Be' (with a resultant higher final wine alcohol level) would have been nice however.

The Semillon came in at 11.5 Be' which is acceptable for wines made from this variety of white grape. The pH was 3.4
The fruit has been affected by botrytis much of which we managed to manually sort through and discard. It will be interesting to see if that fungus has any affect on the resultant wine quality particularly its oxidation 'resistance'.
Anyway, both are currently fermenting away and there is the usual fragrant smell wafting around the house.
Next we will be turning our attention to the Pinot Noir.
The Cabernet Sauvignon has a long way to go as yet.