Shooting the Breeze

We are looking at one of our better vintages for 2009 here at Van Duzer. The quality of the grapes that came in were very high with great maturity, good sugar/acid balance and that telltale aroma of spiced red apple in the crushed fruit that says we're at the peak of flavor development.

Fruit was crushed as it was received, temperatures of the fruit coming in were low and the pace was nice and steady. Fermentations lasted from seven to ten days with full extraction achieved at dryness avoiding the need for extended maceration.

Now, mid-November, the wines have all finished with their malolactic fermentations and are being put to bed in barrels for the winter. The finished lots are already showing deep color, complex fruit aromas, soft tannins and balanced acids. These wines will be softer and more luscious than the past two vintages and more structured than 2003 and 2006.

Winemaker Jim Kakacek collects grapes from the crusher to check the brix.