Smith-Madrone Harvest Reports 2008

These reports are also printed weekly in the St. Helena Star.

They are listed with the most recent first.

Sept 16

Progress of the Spring Mt. harvest is quite varied - as might be expected from a group of strong-minded mountain folk. Some of us have picked most if not all of our Merlot and others will be starting soon. Several of us have picked some blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon and others are still several weeks off. We all agree that the grapes have high acids, low pH's and yet have very good flavors for so early in the season. Whether it is the harvesting of Merlot, Cabernet franc or even Cabernet Sauvignon the cooler weather is allowing all of us to pick the grapes at the peak of maturity - albeit a rather contested definition.

Stuart Smith
Smith-Madrone

Sept 9

This week began with a lovely cool respite from last week’s oppressive heat With the cool weather harvesting has slowed to a crawl. Many of us have brought in small lots of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon last week and were fearful of a repeat of the 1984 harvest which, because of the heat, was compressed into a few short weeks. These initial forays into reds seem to confirm the expected short crop. Will the cool weather continue like 2007 or will heat return? With such dry soils can the vines continue to mature their fruit or will they just shut down and collapse? Do we gamble on a few more days or even several weeks for more varietal flavor and risk dehydration and over-ripe raisin-like flavors? Aw, the joys of another harvest.

Stuart Smith
Smith-Madrone

Sept 2

The 2008 harvest on Spring Mt. began in August and most of us anticipate harvest to be finished by the end of September. Another unusual harvest you might think - hardly. 1996, 1997 and 2001 are some recent vintages with similar harvest dates. The whites have good to very good crop levels, yet most of the mountain is expecting only fair crop levels for the reds. Excellent quality is expected by everyone.

Stuart Smith
Smith-Madrone