Harvest Update

Harvest 2021, is still paused. Grapes are ripening slowly. A light drizzle this week cooled things down for a few days. Chenin is starting to show some golden berries. They taste more and more like those lemony boiled sweets. Fresh citrus and grapefruit flavours. Crisp crunchy acidity and a tangy sweetness tells me we still have a few more days of hang time.

“Hang time” is critical. The longer the bunches can stay on the vine without getting too sweet too fast the better, allowing for a lot more flavour development. This applies to all grape varieties, actually to any fruit, which is why a tree ripened apple or pear just tastes so much better than a shop bought one. Being patient is of the essence right now. We only get one chance a year to get the grapes in at perfect ripeness and full of flavour.

As we wait for the grapes, the Farm is a hive of activity. The orchards are looking incredible, we are picking pears, figs and drying almonds. This week we have also been bottling our new vintage of New Baby 2020 and very limited auction lots of Leo’s Whole Bunch Chenin and Hope Single Vineyard Chenin.