R. STUART & CO. VIGNETTE PINOT NOIR

The wet, cool spring delayed bloom in the vineyards until  late June, setting the stage for a welcome later harvest than the previous few. Hot, dry conditions prevailed through the summer months, which prompted a great deal of thinning. Sometimes it looked like half of the crop was on  the ground! We kicked off our 2017 harvest on September 27th  with Chardonnay. After that, we waited. We like to make sure each vineyard has a chance to fully ripen so the flavors are as rich and complex as possible. Once we really got started though, all that fruit started coming in droves!
We had to hold off picking sometimes to find places in the winery to put it. Hirschy is our warmest site and it came in with 20% more fruit than expected. Next came Daffodil Hill at 2 ½ tons per acre. On and on it went.  We appreciated the cool, dry weather, which allowed us more time.
It also helped keep the acidity high and the pH low, lending great structure to the wines.