David Coffaro Winery and Vineyard Winemaker's Diary Week 32, 2010

David Coffaro Vineyard and Winery Winemaker's Diary

August 15 - August 21, 2010

Thursday August 19, 2010
Matt and Catarino brought in two grape bunch samples today. One by Matt was Petite Sirah at 12.6 Brix and the other by Catarino a Zinfandel was 26%. We have a zin bunch that is reading 26 brix!!! Catarino said don't get excited this is one of the few. Color wow! The bunch was found on a dying vine with only two bunches, in other words, stressed. Like I have said before hang time is well over rated. If hang time was important Dry Creek Zin would be the worst zinfandel because we have such a short growing season. In 32 years the best quality wine made from grapes grown in my vineyard has been from short growing seasons. This harvest season is 2 to 3 weeks behind normal but did start late. This season could be like 1964 in Bordeaux when the grapes harvested just before heavy rains were great wines, but most of the cabernet was lost. We are warmer in Dry Creek Valley so hopefully we will harvest before any rains. Maybe hang time in this year could be great. The acids could be good if the season does not go too long.
Last night I tasted my 2006 and 2007 Block 4 compared to a $50 bottle of wine, 2006 Jonata "Todos " Central Coast Red Blend
(a blend of syrah, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, sangiovese, petit verdot and viognier,). Pat and I rarely agree on what we perceive in a wine, but we usually agree whether it was a wine we want to drink. Pat does not like young wines so we usually don't agree on the one I choose in the evening. I do all the cooking so I am in control when she is not up in the kitchen. I like young wines, 2006 is old for me. I am mostly drinking 2007 and 2008 with a few 2009's.
I have to admit I did not know Jonata was the new winery from the owners of Screaming Eagle. My good friend Everett is really into wines so he knew about Jonata. I forgot to open it up the other night when he was here. Tonight like I said we had this $50 well regarded wine. Pat is tough on me so if I bring up someone else's wine she usually is very critical of my wines in comparison. Tonight we agreed this wine was not to our liking compared to our wines. It had a short finish and to me had a sweetness and no acid which made it non descript. Pat thought it was thin, I thought it held up to our wines but like I said had no finish. I checked the PH and was not surprised to find out it read 3.8. A well made table wine to be served with food should be around 3.5-3.6 PH so at 3.8 the Jonata is appealing to the wine critics who prefer softer wines. If you like smooth flat wines or thin wines as Pat describes it, spend $50.

Dave
david@coffaro.com

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	*Thursday August 19, 2010* Matt and Catarino brought in two grape bunch samples today. One by Matt was Petite Sirah at 12.6 Brix and the other by Catarino a Zinfandel was 26%. We have a zin bunch that is reading 26 brix!!! Catarino said don't get excited this is one of the few. Color wow! The bunch was found on a dying vine with only two bunches, in other words, stressed. Like I have said before hang time is well over rated. If hang time was important Dry Creek Zin would be the worst zinfandel because we have such a short growing season. In 32 years the best quality wine made from grapes grown in my vineyard has been from short growing seasons. This harvest season is 2 to 3 weeks behind normal but did start late. This season could be like 1964 in Bordeaux when the grapes harvested just before heavy rains were great wines, but most of the cabernet was lost. We are warmer in Dry Creek Valley so hopefully we will harvest before any rains. Maybe hang time in this year could be great. The acids could be good if the season does not go too long. Last night I tasted my 2006 and 2007 Block 4 compared to a $50 bottle of wine, 2006 Jonata "Todos " Central Coast Red Blend (a blend of syrah, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, sangiovese, petit verdot and viognier,). Pat and I rarely agree on what we perceive in a wine, but we usually agree whether it was a wine we want to drink. Pat does not like young wines so we usually don't agree on the one I choose in the evening. I do all the cooking so I am in control when she is not up in the kitchen. I like young wines, 2006 is old for me. I am mostly drinking 2007 and 2008 with a few 2009's. I have to admit I did not know Jonata was the new winery from the owners of Screaming Eagle. My good friend Everett is really into wines so he knew about Jonata. I forgot to open it up the other night when he was here. Tonight like I said we had this $50 well regarded wine. Pat is tough on me so if I bring up someone else's wine she usually is very critical of my wines in comparison. Tonight we agreed this wine was not to our liking compared to our wines. It had a short finish and to me had a sweetness and no acid which made it non descript. Pat thought it was thin, I thought it held up to our wines but like I said had no finish. I checked the PH and was not surprised to find out it read 3.8. A well made table wine to be served with food should be around 3.5-3.6 PH so at 3.8 the Jonata is appealing to the wine critics who prefer softer wines. If you like smooth flat wines or thin wines as Pat describes it, spend $50.
	Dave david@coffaro.com
	Home \| Read \| Diary \| Tell Us What You Think of Our Diary!