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2008 Vintage Report
Except for isolated frost in the spring, the 2008 growing season went well. Fortunately, the Heringer vineyards, where we get all our grapes, was spared from any real damage. The Heringer family has been working their land for 5 generations and are proud farmers. We are always pleased with the quality of the grapes they deliver, and this year was no exception.
Six plus tons of petite sirah were harvested in the early morning hours on October 1st., and delivered cool to our cellar by noon. The grapes were in great condition and we got the higher grape sugars (28 brix) we like for making our ARIS port. We began crushing and de-stemming immediately and finished by early evening.
After crush, the sugars soaked up to 29 brix. We cold-soaked the must for several days longer than usual to maximize color and flavor extraction. We continued our use of encapsulated yeast to carry the fermentation. These specialized yeasts create a longer, cooler
ferment which contributes to increased extraction. When we hit the targeted sugar levels, we started pressing immediately - which this
year was spread out over two days - October 10th and 12th. For the
first time in years, we pressed during the day instead of the middle of
the night (whew…). As always, we pressed by foot to reduce the
harsh tannins that can come from mechanical pressing.
We fortified the port using our unique solera wood-aged spirit. A
solera is a continuous aging system that allows the average age of
the spirit to increase every year. Our solera was started in 2003 and
now averages over 4 years in age. At only 160-proof, this spirit
retains some of its grape character, but more importantly, has
developed wonderful brandy-like characteristics, adding complexity
and maturity to the finished port. After settling for 2 days in bins, we
barreled the port on October 14th and 15th.
The alcohol was right at 18% - the residual sugar at 7.75%. Pretty
perfect, we think. Finished port - 735 gallons (13 barrels).
The port will rest in wood for at least 36 months before bottling.
As in the past, we relied heavily on our winery neighbors, friends
and family.
