Cafaro Cellars - Cafaro Cellars News

Where's the Grapes

2008-09-15 16:21:01 -0700

Well, the grape harvest has finally come, there are not very many grapes though. If you remember we had an early spring, then came a little rain, a little cool weather and a little wind. None of these was good for set. Then in late April we got frost. That wiped out about three acres on my vineyard. It was much worse in my neighbors’ vineyards. Our Merlot block normally produces 18 to 22 tones, we got 14 tones. The Syrah normally produces 6 to 7 tons, we got 3.5 tons. Oh well, that’s farming. The good news is the juice and wines look and smell very good. Once the wines settle down in the barrel I will know more about the wines. It really is impossible to know how good (or not so good) a vintage is until December or January.

Veraison - Color Change

2008-07-31 19:49:59 -0700

One of the most exciting periods in the vineyard leading up to harvest is veraison (the color change). It started about a week ago and will continue for a week or two. With the change in color the grapes begin their final stage in maturing on the way to ripeness. Veraison we are watching how evenly the color develops across each bunch and across the vine. Even veraison is a good sign to even ripening and even flavors in this vintage wines.

Frost on April 21, 2008

2008-04-23 13:58:49 -0700

Do you want to see grown men cry. Come to the Napa and Sonoma Valleys to see the frost damage on the vineyards. It’s not very pretty. The Cafaro Family Vineyard got hit on April 21st in two varieties Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon about three acres total. That works out to about 375 cases of each varietal gone.

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Leafing Out

2008-04-18 15:18:01 -0700

Spring Comes Again

2008-03-09 10:07:00 -0700

As a framer there is something very special about every spring. It can be called in many ways – a fresh start, a new beginning, a rebirth. However one looks at spring, to a farmer, its a very exciting time. Mustard covers the valley floor like a yellow carpet. On a sunny day the yellow mustard reflects the suns rays and its hard to look at directly. Pruning is complete or almost complete and we are all waiting for the buds to swell and break. The anticipation of a new vintage of grapes and wines fills the air. Sure there is a great many jobs that need to be done before the heat of summer, but it sure is pretty in the valley this time of the year. We may have no idea what the next few months will bring in the vineyard or what the wines will be like from this vintage but it sure is great to see spring again.

Settled Down

2008-01-19 10:44:30 -0800

The 2007 wines have finally settled down to begin the tasting and evaluation of the vintage. I went thru the wines yesterday to get a sense of color/density, structure and length of each variety. Here is short over view of each variety. Remember the Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are used for blending and not bottled as varietals.

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon – Very dark, vibrant and dense color; good acid; good balanced structure; blackberry, cinnamon, cherry aromas; and youthful long finish.

2007 Merlot – Very dark, vibrant and dense color; good acid; good balanced structure; cinnamon, allspice and clove aromas; and good finish.

2007 Cabernet Franc – Dark, vibrant and dense color; good acid; good balanced and mouth feel; floral perfume aromas; and good finish.

2007 Petit Verdot – Extremely dark and dense color; good acid; good balance and mouth feel; black pepper and spice aromas; and good finish.

2007 is a wonderful vintage with many varietal characters and aromas that make our wines so good with food. Give me a call to set up a visit to taste the new wines and make your own evaluation.

Patience, Patience - good wines all in good time

2007-10-31 09:15:32 -0700

I know, I know, everyone is asking the same question about the ’07 vintage – How was the vintage? Well, the answer is, “I have no idea.” Not until the malo-latic fermentations finish and the wines have time to settle down from the primary fermentation can much be said about the quality of the wines. About all winemakers or winery owners can say for sure is that it was a smaller than normal crop and vineyards took some time to get the ripeness we look for in the grapes. Fortunately, grapes from the Cafaro Family Vineyard ripens early and therefore we are able to pick early with all the ripeness and flavor I like in our wines.

Finished Harvest

2007-10-06 13:13:42 -0700

We finished picking on Thursday, October 4th with the Petit Verdot. Cabernet Sauvignon was picked on September 29th. Both varietals have begun fermenting and both smell beautiful. Picking analysis was right on target. Its very hard to predict how wines will turn out just by the Brix, acid, and the smell of the fermentation. If it were, this is going to be a great vintage. Smelling wine fermentations is one of the real pleasures of making wine. Its a combination of yeast, berry, spice aromas very exotic. Of course, it can go all wrong very easily. I check fermentations twice a day.
I am very lucky with the Cafaro Family Vineyard, not only is the view spectacular but the grapes ripen early every year. In either cool or warm year this is a distinct advantage, picking at the desired ripeness and flavor for each variety is much easier. When you come to the Napa Valley, be sure to ask about visiting the vineyard.

The sun is back

2007-09-26 09:17:46 -0700

With the return of the sun the grapes are again on their way to ripening. Flavors, brix and acid are good in the Cabernet Franc so we will pick tomorrow. The southern half of the Cabernet Sauvignon is getting close may pick that on Saturday, I’ll check it again on Thursday.

I have gone for an extended fermentation on the Merlot this year. This sort of fermentation brings out more complexity but is hard to do logistically because it ties up a tank for 20 days. The cool weather slowed the ripening of the Cabernet Sauvignon but gave time to make the Merlot an even better wine. I have been tasting the 2007 Merlot almost every day in the fermentor – good stuff.

Harvest has a Hole in it

2007-09-20 14:38:31 -0700

How can that be – harvest started off fast and furious in late August, continued warm in early September but then came the cools in mid September which slowed and even halted ripening. Don’t get too concerned this happens every few years. Weather like this just drives those uninitiated into spasmodic worry. There is even a little rain last night. Again not to worry, unlike my Burgandy varietal brothers and sisters, Bordeaux varietals can and do handle rain almost as well as Gene Kelly. So like a donut, this is the harvest with a hole in it. Just be patient and the grapes will come around with lush wines because of long hang time.